Auditory Processing Disorder, APD

hi-
you mentioned your DD saw a speech therapist - was she also evaluated by audiologist? The reason I ask is in order to diagnose CAPD you must be evaluated by an audiologist. Also a child must be 7-8 years old in order to diagnose him/her with CAPD. It sounds like your DD might be to young to be formally diagnosed with CAPD.

A couple of great resources are: http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/understand-a...
And
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.htm

from (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.htm) Children with auditory processing difficulty typically have normal hearing and intelligence. However, they have also been observed to:
* Have trouble paying attention to and remembering information presented orally
* Have problems carrying out multistep directions
* Have poor listening skills
* Need more time to process information
* Have low academic performance
* Have behavior problems
* Have language difficulty (e.g., they confuse syllable sequences and have problems developing vocabulary and understanding language)
* Have difficulty with reading, comprehension, spelling, and vocabulary

What treatments are available for auditory processing difficulty?

Much research is still needed to understand APD problems, related disorders, and the best intervention for each child or adult. Several strategies are available to help children with auditory processing difficulties. Some of these are commercially available, but have not been fully studied. Any strategy selected should be used under the guidance of a team of professionals, and the effectiveness of the strategy needs to be evaluated. Researchers are currently studying a variety of approaches to treatment. Several strategies you may hear about include:
1) Auditory trainers are electronic devices that allow a person to focus attention on a speaker and reduce the interference of background noise. They are often used in classrooms, where the teacher wears a microphone to transmit sound and the child wears a headset to receive the sound. Children who wear hearing aids can use them in addition to the auditory trainer.
2) Environmental modifications such as classroom acoustics, placement, and seating may help. An audiologist may suggest ways to improve the listening environment, and he or she will be able to monitor any changes in hearing status.
3) Exercises to improve language-building skills can increase the ability to learn new words and increase a child's language base.
4) Auditory memory enhancement, a procedure that reduces detailed information to a more basic representation, may help. Also, informal auditory training techniques can be used by teachers and therapists to address specific difficulties.
5) Auditory integration training may be promoted by practitioners as a way to retrain the auditory system and decrease hearing distortion. However, current research has not proven the benefits of this treatment.

You can use ASHA (American speech –language - hearing association) web site (http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/understand-a...) to find an audiologist in your area, or contact the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) at 1-800-638-8255.

GOOD LUCK!

I would get an attorney that will advocate for you it will help with WRC. Maybe ask for a retest. Bring the assessment and show WRC. Another good resource is the John Tracy Clinic, they assess for free but if you have insurance go to UCLA and have her hearing tested.

Gela:

Hi! I live in Los Angeles too! You could always try Regional Center again--it couldn't hurt! But your main provider is probably your local public school district. Give your local elementary school a call, and they'll tell you how to proceed. Any speech services you get through the school district are free!

I know nothing about Auditory Processing issues, but was planning on researching it because I heard my daughter might have issues there as well.

Good luck!

C.
www.littlebitquirky.blogspot.com
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Research shows there are many different learning styles. Unfortunately most schools only teach to 1 or 2 of them. Almost all of the great minds in history would be labeled with "disorders" in todays educational system.

There is a great book called "How Your Child is Smart" that not only helps you understand your child's learning style, but gives you strategies that will match HOW she learns.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Child-Smart-Life-Changing/...

Please check with your local county health department. Many have a speech therapist on hand and your child can attend sessions at little or no cost. I used them for hearing test and my cost was only 8 dollars and we were not on subsidy assistance but they still cut the cost.

____@____.com

Lois Kam Heymann is the leading authority on Auditory Processing Disorder. Her site and new book might be of help to you. Her website is www.ListenLoveLearn.com and you can find her book "The Sound of Hope" on Amazon. I see you are in California, so this may not help, but she will be part of a new center in New York starting in October of 2010 where children can be diagnosed and receive support.

I'm not sure about APD, but our daughter had speech problems when she was 2 1/2. After minimal speech therapy at Kaiser (we could only get about one appointment every other week--pretty much worthless), we were able to get help through the local elementary school when she turned three. She received three sessions a week, it was totally free, the school is six blocks away, and she was up to speed by the time she reached kindergarten. The additional benefit here is that, if she continues to need speech therapy when she starts school, she'll be able to get it on-site, and already be familiar with the therapist.

Our daughter is on the autistic spectrum, so the speech problem was only one of her issues, but the school was great. Maybe they can help your daughter.

Best of luck,
D.

When my son was attending private ST, they used the Earobics software program with him as part of his treatment. I just checked on Amazon and there is Earobics Step 1 and Earobics Step 2 that can be purchased for $64.95 each -- much cheaper than paying for a private speech therapist. This may not be the one thing that totally does it for your daughter (but, then again, it could be), but it's something that you can do at home right here, right now, that won't break the bank for you.

Best of luck to you and your daughter.

Hi Gela,
I have a lot of experience with APD. My older son has it and it went totally unnoticed until he was 6-1/2. He was in special ed for 3 years, and nobody ever mentioned it.

Unfortunately hey cannot diagnose a child as young as 4-1/2. Even if she had the attention to sit through the battery of tests, (which most 6 year olds can't do), they do not have test data normed below the age of 5. So if they say she has APD, it is a hunch, not a diagnosis that will stick. If your intuition tells you this is an accurate diagnosis, go with your intuition. I believe mother's intuition is more accurate than any battery of assessments.

Even if she was able to get the diagnosis, believe it or not, it does not fall into the category of a learning disability, so the school does not have to provide therapies for it. All incredible, to be sure, and extremely frustrating for parents like us.

Does your daughter have any dyslexic tendencies? There is a theory that APD and dyslexia are actually two sides of the same spectrum. APD is often called dyslexia of the ears, and kids with APD often also have dyslexia. With dyslexia she could qualify for a 504 intervention, which would get you services through the school. Also, does she have attention issues? A diagnosis if ADHD would also qualify her for a 504.

I could go on and on, but it's probably easier for you to visit http://www.capdsupport.org. This is a site I built after my frustration of getting our son diagnosed. The schools not only didn't listen to me, but outright told me that I did not know what I was talking about. Turns out I was right on the money. Ever since we began therapies and accommodations for APD, our son has made leaps forward. This site I built has a lot of information as well as a message board where you can ask other parents questions about how they handled things for their child.

Good luck in this process. Follow your gut, and I know it will lead you in the right direction.

Hope this helps,
B.

if i understand correctly your DD is now over three? if so the school district should provide you ST services through the preschool. you can try the regional center again since it sounds like it has been a while since the last eval? i know it's frustrating being on that borderline but keep fighting for help and you will get it from somewhere. John Tracy Clinic is great too. try all three options and any others you come across...good luck!