Auditory Processing Disorder

[~clover~]

I started THIS thread on DD2 a while ago.

There are other issues I've picked up on with her, but I've never really thought about them til now.

I might say to Bri, write am & she'll come out with 'btf'. I noticed this a while ago, but just thought she needed a little more help & practise.

Mum went up to the school & had a chat with the teacher (I've been myself a few times last year, but not yet this year), & she thinks Bri may have an auditory processing disorder.

It makes so much sence, but I've never heard of it before, so have never thought to look into it!

Does anyone elses child have this problem? Is there anything you can suggest that might help us out?

Her teacher is working on a diagnosis, then they'll be able to get funding for a special head set for Bri to wear.

Anyone know where I should go from here? Should I go see my gp for a paed referral? Does it need to be diagnosed by a paed, or is there some other specialist around?

I just have no idea at this stage where to go next... Any suggestions/idea's/links to read would be greatful

[Freya]

A child psychologist would probably be your best bet, like with all disorders I think they have a set assessment process for an APD diagnosis. I also think an audiologist has to do an assessment too.

[~clover~]

Ok then. I'm going to try get up there this arvo to talk to the teacher again properly myself.
Do I have to organise that, or will the school? Since they need the diagnosis for the funding?

I'll wait til I talk to her maybe & go from there...

[Early Kids]

I would imagine you would have to set it all up, all the school needs is the letter of diagnosis to get her some help. We've had to organise everything for DS1.

I would start by seeing your GP (if they are good) and see where to go from there.

Good Luck xx

[~clover~]

Thanks Sally.
Guess I should start the ball rolling sooner rather than later, huh. Will make a gp appointment tomorrow.

[Yeddi]

My DD has this.

You'll need to see an audiologist first. You can self refer. Do you have a hearing centre around you? They'd be the best bet.
We did sound integration therapy and Extra Lesson with a private psychologist. There are only two pyschs that I know of who do this, one in Sydney and the other in Canberra. There could also be one in Melbourne, but I would have to ask around. You can buy the at home system from "integrated sound systems" but it's quite expensive, but my DD did improve with it significantly. A white noise generator is good for times when they need to concentrate hard on something. And sometimes visual to do lists save a LOT of frustration as you can give more than one or two instructions at a time.

[christy]

Auditory Processing Disorder is one of the many things that is included in Sensory Processing Disorder. My DD1 has this as well as other sensory issues. We do a listening program, and attend OT. There are Paediatric Occupational Therapists who specialise in all sensory processing disorders and can do the assesments themselves.

I would go to your GP, but unfortunately a lot of GP's don't know alot of the advancements on SPD. I would suggest bringing in a bit of information regarding Auditory Processing and get that prior to going to your GP.

[~clover~]

Ok, thanks guys.

We are up on the mid north coast, near Coffs Harbour, so I'm not sure what would be available in this area.
Pretty sure there is an OT (though not sure about a paed one), coz they were considering sending DD3 to one with her BF problems.

My gp is pretty good, but I'll definetely take some info with me, as well as something written from her school.
Also, there is a paed in Coffs who's pretty onto all this sort of thing, so I'll specifically ask for him. Mum found him great when having my younger sister diagnosed with ADD.

When mum told me what they talked about, my first reaction wasn't feeling crap coz something was wrong with my child, it was relief!
I've known for a long time something was slightly different about her, but could never put my finger on it. This fits so well. I hope it doesn't take too long to get her some help at school.

Knowing last night I tried so much harder to keep distractions to a minimum while she was reading, but gave up after 5 pages.
Then after being told to do one row on her homework sheet, she did the lot!

The teacher (she's in a K,1,2 room) has put her back down with the kindy kids while they do their jollyphonics to help her get a grip on it. (12 months last year & she still doesn't remember any of the actions).

My gp is usually really good. Though I took her in last year to talk to him about her millions of issues & his suggestion was that she was just too young. Which I just agreed with, since she did start school a little too early. But again, there are other area's she's doing great in & while her teacher had my approval to hold her back in kindy if needed, she didn't do it.

I'm going to read more about SPD. See what I can learn. Thanks for all the tips & advice

[diva det]

good timing love - we have just been through the whole DX with my DS1 for auditory processing disorder
we self referred to an audiology clinic that does specific auditory processing testing- it was 2 x 90 minute sessions that cost us $200

it showed that my DS hearing was fine but he has trouble processing different sounds and where they come from so we had to buy him a headset like they mentioned to you! Mind you it was $2,300 and no funding available. The school could have got funding for next year for the set but that would be another whole year wasted so we are trialling it at the moment for 2 months to see if it makes a difference
DS also has trouble with the connections between the two spheres of the brain. One side takes the info in and the other acts upon that info, but the connections arnt there between both sides so he knows what he is suppose to do, but struggles on how to do it!
Therapy is to come and that is with a speachy who does APD therapy- some easy things they said that we can do a home for therapy include singing ( APD kids struggle to put words to a tune) and drawing and colouring in the same picture
DS also has an extremely poor working memory so that doesnt help at all and we suspect some mild dyslexia
we are also paying an aide 4 hours a week to work with our son- we have applied for funding several times but unfortunately in VIC the criteria for funding is crap and he misses out.
hope this info helps and if you want anything else please feel free to ask away or PM me if you want
the main thing with kids with APD is breaking the tasks down into easier steps for them to process!
HTH
mwah

[~clover~]

Wow *det*, your DS sound so much like Bri!

For any of the kids having problems with remembering, the teacher writes all instructions on the board, so they can read them. But DD is having so much trouble reading. She's on reading level 2, when she should be on 25... I think she might have visual issues too, but I really don't know enough about it.
She could read 'then' in a book 8 times, then on the 9th time (all sentences startin with the same words) she'll say something completely different, which makes me think she's working from memory & the pictures ONLY. Guesses don't start with the same letter...

We were given new home work to do last week. I say a word & DD writes it. Spelling doesn't matter at all, they just want to see if the kids can guess the basic sounds of the words. Eg - I said truck. You'd expect tuk, truk, chruk... etc, anything along those lines. DD came up with nothing remotely close. bmkrf or something similar (I'd look, but its at school).

[diva det]

so much like you dd clover
struggling with reading here big time- level 6-9 should be at level 25- and that is with intervention
that is what the aid is working on with him his sounds!
it is only now in grade three that he is starting to get the sounds but still mixes up heaps such as b and d
working memory issues make it so hard for them- they get in trouble but cant remember what they did in the first place!
let alone what activity they are suppose to be doing in class!!
our kids sound soo similiar

[Yeddi]

...so we had to buy him a headset like they mentioned to you! Mind you it was $2,300 and no funding available.

Wow, that is expensive. What is the name of the headset system?

Ours cost us $1300, but we did get it direct, as the system's Australian supplier is in Canberra, and is actually based in the same office that we see our Osteopath at. Our psych is also the one that wrote all the activities in the back of the instruction book. Unless it is a different system, that's a $1000 mark up.

[diva det]

its a phonak inspiro
it is the model that has the ear piece like a hearing aid and a small microphone and small system for teacher to wear

[Yeddi]

Nope. Different. Haven't heard of that, might just have to go look it up. Thanks

[diva det]

the units that they wear like an ipod around their neck are alot cheaper- but DS is a compulsive fiddler so we went for the hearing aid type one instead- less for him to play with and hopefully not lose or break!

[~clover~]

Ok, she was assessed last week & the teacher is getting me the notes & having more testing done before we go to the gp (not til March 29!)
The sooner we work all this out the better! The teacher agrees there may be visual processing disorder too.