LEARNING DISORDERS: Reading, Writing , and Auditory Processing Disorders

I have been working for 20 years with children and teens as well as adults, who have been having difficulties focusing and paying attention. Sometimes this can be due to ADD or ADHD (see Blog Number One), but sometimes it is due to a Learning Disorder. This blog discusses one particular Learning Disorder: a Receptive/Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

An Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a problem with absorbing auditory information and retrieving it later on. It affects around five per cent of school aged children and the population in general.  These individuals have trouble processing what they hear, as their central auditory nerve (which develops from birth to the age of four/five), may not have fully developed, or there is some other difficulty with the nerve, which causes a coordination problem between the ears and the brain. Something gets in the way of the brain recognizing and interpreting sounds, especially speech. Brain damage (concussions), ear infections, and other neurological difficulties can be a possible cause of this type of problem.

With the right program, which acts like physical therapy for the central auditory nerve, students with APD can be very successful in school and work. Two of the main program are Fast ForWord and the Indianapolis program. EndeavorRx also is a great program, when ADD/ADHD is also involved. Here are some of the symptoms of CAPD/RAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder/Receptive Auditory Processing Disorder):
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• Is my child or am I easily distracted or unusually bothered by loud or sudden noises?
• Are noisy environments upsetting to my child or me?
• Does my child's or my behavior and performance improve in quieter settings?
• Does my child or do I have trouble following directions, whether simple or complicated?
• Do I have reading, spelling, writing, or other speech-language difficulties?
• Are verbal (word) math problems hard for my child/myself?
• Am I /my child disorganized and forgetful?
• Are conversations hard to follow?

Often CAPD/RAPD can mimic ADD/ADHD, and although a person can have both disorders, testing is needed to determine if the individual has both, or one or the other. If the problem is ADD/ADHD, refer back to Blog One, and also look into a new program, EndeavorRx, which is an excellent video game/computer program for children up to age 12 (sometimes up to age 16). This program is similar to a video game and can be very enjoyable while treating the attention and focusing problems very well. There are four main problem areas in kids with APD:

1. Auditory background problems: This is when a child can't pay attention if there's noise in the background. Noisy, loosely structured classrooms or work areas can be very frustrating.
2. Auditory memory problems: This is when a child has trouble remembering information such as directions, lists, words, and sentences. It can be immediate ("I can't remember it now") and/or delayed ("I can't remember it when I need it for later").
3. Auditory discrimination problems: This is when a child has trouble hearing the difference between similar words or sounds (CAT?CAT or boat/float). This can affect following directions and reading, spelling, and writing skills, among others.
4. Auditory attention problems: This is when a child can't stay focused on listening long enough to complete a task (such as listening to a lecture in school). Kids and adults with CAPD often have trouble maintaining attention, although health, motivation, and attitude also can play a role.

Kids with APD often have trouble following directions, so these suggestions may help:

• Reduce background noise whenever possible at home and at school.
• Visual Cues
• Ask your child to repeat the directions back to you and to keep repeating them aloud (to you or to himself or herself) until the directions are completed.
• For directions that are to be completed later, writing notes, wearing a watch, or maintaining a household routine can help. So can general organization and scheduling.
• A quiet background and study area.
• Getting enough sleep and a good diet.
• Organization, including chores, keeping one’s room neat and organized.

At School/Work
Once CAPD/RAPD is diagnosed, it’s important to schedule a meeting at your child’s school. If this is for an adult, schedule a meeting with your supervisor at work. Tell the teacher/Learning Specialist at school about RAPD, and how you and your child will start work on a computer program, be it Fast ForWord or the Indianapolis program. Your child should be eligible for accommodations on school tests and standardized tests, including

• extra time (1.5 times normal time)
• calculator
• white board
• highlighter
• early notice of large assignments.
• Movement breaks (a 5 minute break every 20-25 minutes
• visual cues/note-taking/notes from the teacher.