Kids Enabled May 15, 2011

From Struggles with Apraxia to Honors English

Tanner Geng and His Success Story

Lisa Geng and her son Tanner May 2011

It is hard to navigate the world of supplements, so it is wise to turn to the experts for advice about which supplements are the most appropriate for certain conditions.

Tanner Geng’s mom Lisa, with the help of Lauren Zimet, MS, CCC/SLP, saw a significant improvement in Tanner’s speech skills (he has apraxia of speech) after he began taking fish oil supplements.

Tanner’s background from when he was 3

The history of why NV Original for therapeutic use for apraxia, autism etc.

Lisa says, “Lauren is the one professional that witnessed the earlier dramatic surges when we started him on fish oils. So, Tanner really has responded well to essential nutrients. We always fed him very healthy – as organic as possible – but it’s not always what we eat, but what we digest and utilize.”

Join Kids Enabled as we hear of Tanner’s journey from his point of view:

Kids Enabled: What were your biggest struggles growing up? What were your toughest challenges in the classroom?
Tanner Geng: My biggest struggle was not being able to pronounce the words correctly or people couldn’t understand what I was saying if I was talking to them. In the classroom if I was asked to read something and I got stuck on a word, and I knew it the word, but I just couldn’t get it out, someone in the class would shout it out for me, which frustrated me because I knew the word. I just couldn’t say it, and they would think they were helping me because they thought I didn’t know it.

KE: What is your earliest memory of struggling in school?
TG: I don’t remember having any issues outside of reading which was in 6th grade. Reading was hard for me because, even though I knew the words, they wouldn’t come out of my mouth. I always liked to write stories and poems. My brain developed after I started taking Nutriiveda last year and I got more creative in writing my stories. I like to share the stories I write. Last year I was given more time to write, but I wasn’t into reading. I only read what I had to read. This year in junior high school I haven’t had as much time to write, but I’ve been reading more because I enjoy it. Right now I’m reading Lord of the Flies with my class. I am going to be in honors classes for high school, and my mom is really impressed especially that my teacher this year recommended me for honors English.

KE: Did your struggles ever cause your self-esteem to suffer?
TG: Sometimes I feel bad about myself because I get made fun of if I talk funny, but mainly it’s people I don’t know that would tease me, not kids that I went to school with. But, since my speech has gotten better this year, nobody even notices I have a speech problem anymore. I have lots of friends and nobody really has cared about my speech, even when I did have problems speaking.

KE: What advice would you give to parents of children who struggle with learning challenges?
TG: My advice to parents of kids who have speech problems is to be in classes with the rest of the kids in school to learn everything they learn. Although I used to not be able to speak, I still knew how to learn. My other advice is to give kids fish oils and Nutriiveda because it helps with motor planning and of course speech. It also helps with physical stuff like helping me be more coordinated.

KE: How do you define success at this point in your life?
TG: Success to me is becoming a special education lawyer to help other kids in the country who have speech and other problems and helping them get into better schools and fight for what is right for them.

Tanner placed 2nd in a debate tournament December 2011

From Lisa Geng:

Another Tanner update…this is just amazing! Today Tanner and I met with the guidance councilor for 9th grade; next year he will be going to high school. I knew that he was going to talk to Tanner, not me, but I was there to back him up just in case.

The first question the counselor asked was, “What do you want to do after high school?” and Tanner responded with no hesitation “I want to be a lawyer.” He wants to be a special education attorney. The questions and answers continued smoothly. Tanner was having no issues saying what classes he wanted or didn’t want, and he didn’t choose any “easy” electives either! Tanner was recommended for honors classes by his current teacher.

He currently plays varsity basketball and football and will probably continue in sports. Tanner just asked me if he can volunteer at an animal shelter over the summer. He said, “Mom, I just want to make those animals happy that have to be there.”

Tanner is fully mainstreamed and a great student, typically an A student. In the past, I had to do homework with him. I know there are others of you out there with older apraxic children that know exactly what I am talking about; reading and writing is like pulling teeth.

Since starting on the food supplement Nutriiveda (NV), Tanner is completely independent in his studies and is excelling independently; he doesn’t need my help anymore. This is far better than excelling with me for many reasons of course!

Prior to this year, if someone had asked him the question his counselor was asking today, i.e., questions about his future, college, choices of classes, etc., his standard response would have been: 1) look at me to help him answer and 2) say “I don’t know” (even if he did know but he wouldn’t want to explain) and then look at me to help him answer.

Not bad for a kid who, according to his kindergarten teachers, “wouldn’t make it in a mainstream kindergarten class and needed to be in a self-contained learning disabled class.”

Tanner was fully included for kindergarten because I really advocated for him. He not only “made it” in an inclusion class, he was one of the top students. I did follow my own advice and didn’t start him in kindergarten until age 6 years for that extra year of therapy and developmental time.

I credit therapy for so much. Tanner has done a lifetime of therapy in the past 10 years, both traditional and alternative with a focus on speech, but I also know that therapy doesn’t work as well if a child doesn’t get the essential nutrients.

Lisa Geng
President CHERAB Foundation
Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base

cherab.org/
pursuitofresearch.org
cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/LCPbook.html
apraxia.org/
twitter.com/TheLateTalker

“Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

Special Thanks to Kids Enabled

Lisa Geng and her son Tanner yesterday

PS.  After I read this I asked Tanner “Why did you use the word motor planning in your interview? I typically hear you say things about improvements in your speech, your school work, athletics, and jumping over a bush! What do you think motor planning means?” (because I figure he hears me say it) So Tanner says “It’s when your brain tells your body what to do” So at this point he was putting his socks on and I said “You mean like I can motor plan with my brain to tell my foot to step on your foot?” And at this point I was trying to step on his one foot but he kept moving it away and we were both laughing. And then Tanner says to me when I gave up “My brain is faster at motor planning than yours“ 

Read more about the upcoming preclinical research for the original Nutriiveda (only available currently through this website and the Cherab team)

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Written by Lisa Geng, mother to two boys that were both “late talkers” who are doing great today. President and Founder of the Cherab Foundation, and Co Author of The Late Talker book St Martin’s Press