Writing and talking together! No Laura, I haven't........ and I have both the problems in your communication breakdown post. Something that might help with writing is doing copybook exercises. I read somewhere that overlearning can help with things like this, the process of doing it over mindfully creates a different path........

However, as a painter and artist it seems like something else kicks in and, as Ann says, the movement is from the shoulder, and apart from tiring easily, I can get things to look the way they should. In contrast writing is only legible when tiny, and then it is not visible - another case of impractibility! A fat pen helps with writing and I suspect some of the dyslexia writing aids, lilke rubber grips for pens, triangular large size pens and pencils may help with legibility and size.

As problematic for me is a kind of PD dyslexia, where I am sequencing letters wrongly, it comes and goes, but is particularly bad when writing down messages or phone numbers, multitasking again...... when I am off this affects my typing too, the sequences are wrong and I have to re-do a lot of words, though my keyboard skills are good, off and on, except for speed,

Oh, the joys of PD......

Lindy

I promised myself that I wouldn't get online his morning, because I have a doctor's appointment and need all of my energy. This in itself tells you that stressors use up our energy. Paula reminded me of this when talking about using all she had to get ready for a social time with teacher friends. Well, I just spent a solid 2 hours getting ready! (this includes a shower and hair-drying). After I finish replying, I will be zapped.

But I want those reading (who won't or cannot take the time to look it up) to understand about executive funcion. This terminology seems to be cropping up quite frequently.

By: National Center for Learning Disabilities (2005)
"Executive Function" is a term used to describe a set of mental processes that helps us connect past experience with present action. We use executive function when we perform such activities as planning, organizing, strategizing and paying attention to and remembering details.

They also show weakness with "working memory" (or "seeing in your mind's eye"), which is an important tool in guiding one's actions."

And, of course, we use executive function when we communicate. Loss of or problems with executive function is one of the first signs of Alzheimers (or dementia). But most of you have only discussed the mental aspect of communication problems. How many of you have difficulty with the "physical" aspect of speaking?

When I talk with people, they can guess pretty accurately how I am feeling (off, on, or inbetween), especially over the telephone, where they cannot see my bobbling head or "dancng" as my grandson calls it. But there are times (getting more frequent) when I slur my words or run them all up together with little or no intonation. That's when both the speaker and the receiver get frustrated!

I was referred to a speech pathologist (also to help with swallowing), but then the inclement weather set in, so I haven't been yet. But dog-gone-it! Public speaking has been my forte, and I'm just not ready to give it up.

I sometimes think that we should keep those speaking engagements to let the public see how we struggle, but there's the risk that you won't be able to get your point across. (sigh)

What to do . . . what to do? BTW there can be absolutely NO head bobbling or dancing until you get up to speak; then it's like someone flips a switch and puts every r eflex in hyper-overdrive!

Peg

I, too, have had difficulty finding words. It's especially bad if I'm tired. So I no longer feel comfortable doing ad lib speeches though I still will talk from prepared text.

But there's another thing that I've noticed when writing with a pen or pencil. I mis-spell common, easy words. I've mentioned this to my neurologist and he, of course, didn't know what might be the cause. Has anyone else experienced it? It doesn't seem to occur when typing at the computer. Maybe because I'm seeing it as I type? So there are two pathways working?

Violet green,
this is exactly what I call PD dyslexia, this misspelling of words - I call it that because I am really familiar with dyslexia, and it seems to have it's correlates with it, and to link this up with what Peg posted, with kids with learning disabilities, it is called executive function disorder, so why do they want to label it impending dementia with us!!

It comes and goes according to how well medicated I am, as do the speech and tip of the tongue things, so it means it is not permanent, the brain connections are there, do others feel this too?

If so, then there is hope for strategies to overcome this type of problem............ there is a long way to go in helping patients, I know about Lee Silverman and other stuff, but this is not generally offered to patients to improve quality of life, we have to search out someone who knows something, and THEN we have to search out the therapy........ in the past these things have been put down to the aging process, but I beg to differ!! And if THESE issues could be improved, then there must be others..... it isn't all about taking medication and pharma coffers........... and then while I am sure some of it is genuinely PD and would not discount that, I am also sure that some medications do not improve executive function, and some absolutely assist in disordering our long suffering brains!

Lindy

For a while I was developing a stutter so bad I couldn't talk on the phone. It's gone away now, for the most part. My doc told me it was actually a dyskinesia effect of the lips and tongue.

I practice reading aloud, both with and without a cork in my mouth. The cork forces you to enunciate more fully - try it and then see how well you read the same thing immediately afterwards. An old acting trick....

For writing, first of all I got rid of ballpoint pens because they make you grip, and I practice calligraphy, practicing relaxing during the strokes of the letters.

If you know the word is misspelled, then it is not dyslexia. It seems more like a lack of focus. I find that when I read, I race over the paragraph. I have to make myself slow down. It is not as though I am speed reading because I miss content. When I write and make errors, it is usually lack of concentration on the task at hand. I do believe PD gives us attention deficit disorder.

I read a lot about dementia and PD, and I worry, but I see others who seem to have no diminishing of their cognitive skills. It may take longer to pull up what we know or communicate what we know, but the knowledge is there. Because of this, I don't think we would be a success on Jeopardy. We are not fast enough. However, on Millionaire they give you the choice of answers and a reasonable amount of time. We would do better there.

I have had many tests of my cognition, and so far so good. Despite the good test results, I tense up and worry about any wrong answer. Calling a rhinocerous a hippopotamus may not seem so important, but I chastise myself for the error. I am in two research studies, and I am thinking of eliminating such tests from my life. Also, how does taking them help me or anyone else? The research community seems obsessed with defining us more and more precisely but do little to cure us. They want to know who gets it, how our gait can be charted, how to know someone is at risk, how long it will take for us to go downhill, blah, blah, blah. Fox said words to the effect that he wondered if research was ever going to help him to be able once again to tie his tie? My point exactly.

Ann

I used to be an bright , funny and articulate speaker. Now I can hardly communicate my needs let alone a conversation with some one other than my
care giver!
Year 12 now. I am taking Stelavo 125s up to 6 a 24 hour period and getting about 4 hours a dose! also just began taking lexapro and amantadine (anybody hear of this) after a drug holiday 3 weeks off lexapro and zonisamide and having a bad time without! Can anyone relate?

Fiona,

Thank you so much for this suggestion! Calligraphy focuses on flow, and fluidity is just what we lose in our handwriting.

Laura