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Auditory Processing Disorder?

Auditory Processing Disorder defined:

Auditory processing disorder (APD), also known as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), is a hearing problem that affects about 5% of school-aged children.

Kids with this condition can’t process what they hear in the same way other kids do because their ears and brain don’t fully coordinate. Something interferes with the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, especially speech.

With the right therapy, kids with APD can be successful in school and life. Early diagnosis is important, because when the condition isn’t caught and treated early, a child can have speech and language delays or problems learning in school.

They have Trouble Understanding Speech

Source:  KidsHealth.Org

 

According to Dr. Marty Burns:  Auditory processing disorders occur when there has been some impediment to the development of this mental sound map, making it difficult for children to distinguish units of speech.  Check out the summary provided here. 

 

 

Signs I see in MY CHILD:  We often give our child verbal directions that go un-answered.  He is very forgetful.  When working with homework, I will ask how the teacher explained these new ideas in the classroom and I get nothing back from my child.  I know they discussed everything.

 

Sound Therapy Link from New Zealand…TOMATIS Method

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Vision Therapy?

Step #1:  A thorough Eye Exam

Step #2:  Scheduling Therapy Sessions

Step #3:  Following Through with Therapy Sessions

We are at a point now in youth sports where the vision- depth perception is off.  In web searches, I have pulled up information on vision therapy for sports.  It has also shown to be advertised to help with dyslexia and adhd.

We will investigate.  One more tool to add to our toolbox- I will blog if we have success!  Or not…

To Be Continued…

One link to study…

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Dyslexia & Vision that is broken like seeing out of a view finder…

This is another explanation I got most recently in a discussion about the way my son learns.

Ok.. yes, I did have an appointment with a Medium- but I had wanted as much information as I could possibly acquire.  We have been spending a lot of money on alternative treatments- if there was something simple they could help uncover- I was all about that.

They did help explain how his visual input – visual images into the brain enter like separate pictures.  The analogy she used was that of a view finder which gives 2 images that you merge into one.

On a related search, I found this article that explains something of this visual issue from a Harvard Study in 2007. 

Perhaps this information can help you… ?

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Focus Point: Outside of the brain… ?

We recently completed a Davis Dyslexia Program.  One of the particular things the program presents is that the focus point for most dyslexics is not right within the physical brain itself.

My son’s best point of focus is above his head a few inches.  At least that was how it was presented to me.

I aim to find more research that supports these ideas…. I am curious..

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What did you enjoy most? The book or the movie?

Hands-down my dyslexic child will say movie, 99.9% of the time.

It saddens me to say that books give my child anxiety, frustration and tension.  They just do.  It is who he is.  I have been slowly growing into acceptance of that fact.

Within a class of 20-something children after finishing a novel; they also watched the movie.  The majority of the children in the class voted for the book as the favorite.  My child and one other voted for the movie as the best representation.

Book reports have always been a struggle.  Anything with books really has been a struggle.  Graphic novels are a must for the vibrant illustrations are necessary to help my child build meaning to the text.

Over time, I will post several titles of juvenile graphic novels for consideration.

Only recently did the light-bulb go on- did I actually see how differently my child processes the written word.  We are in middle school now.  Had I known years ago; I would have taken a different approach to books, novels, reading, reading minutes, etc..

I would have picked up more books on tape.  I would have tried to allow him to ‘listen’ to the first few chapters and then to continue on independently with the rest.

I would have liked to choose books that had movie representations to them.

I would have spent more time learning how to use E-books effectively.

I am excited to have downloaded a graphic novel my son is interested in reading.  An option for “Word Wise” just popped up on the screen.  This is a built-in program (Kindle) that helps young readers by providing hints for the most difficult words they will encounter.  They only need to tap on the word to have it read.  How cool is that!

I see the Audible Narration is available for the book I have chosen; for a fee of $3.49.  Ok… so I guess I can buy it – I know it will help him understand the book.  I am a little dissappointed at the cost- what about ALL the other children with dyslexia?  Are their families financially stable enough to pay for a book at $6.99 plus the auditory narration for an additional $3.49?  Perhaps the library will have options; here is a link to a related article highlighting the disparity of resources and low-income families.

 

 

 

 

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What are Phonemes? What is Phonological Awareness?

They are necessary, critical components to successful reading.

Phonemes are the smallest sounds our language is broken into.  Cat has 3 sound parts or phonemes.  You can find a list of phonemes here. 

[The actual letters are referred to graphemes- if you don’t know the letters that match the word sounds you will experience difficulty spelling.

Phonemic Awareness: refers to speech (oral language); having an understanding that our language is broken into sounds.

Phonological Awareness means you have an understanding of how the words in our language are made up of sounds.

You can view a PowerPoint on the terms here. 

Teaching It:  Segmenting & Blending are Key!

To teach segmenting of words; you teach about the separate sounds of a word.  Cat has 3 sounds (phonemes), you would have the child read the sound parts of the word to segment it.   C    a     t

To teach blending; you kind of review the segmenting first, have the child speak the separate sounds, then once again have them say the sound parts quickly to ‘blend them together’ into a word.

Here is an article on tutoring Phonemic Awareness/

 

My dyslexic child has an understanding of the Phonemic nature of our language; yet he cannot memorize the rules to connect what phonemes make up certain sounds.  He will turn in an assignment on “light” for example; and have in his written answers – “light” spelled differently.  Lite  Ligt  lyte liht

I will add a photo at a future time.

 

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Schwab Foundation: Parent Guide for Dyslexia

The Schwab Foundation has put many years of research into Dyslexia and similar disabilities. One interesting/ helpful brochure I found helpful is their Parent Guide to Life Success for Dyslexics. 

The organization outlines several “success attributes” that are shared among the most successful dyslexics. Adults and children alike would benefit from discussion on topics such as perseverance, goal setting, support systems and more!

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Teacher Tip: Use Videos, Diagrams, Smart Boards Often!

Think of the best, most memorable Super Bowl commercials. Do they have paragraphs and paragraphs of text or long dialog between characters?  No… They have studied the science of capturing your attention.

Check out this article that highlights the Importance of Using Visuals in Marketing. 

Over time; I will post some of the best ‘teacher-visual’ learning sites that I am able to uncover.  There are several safe, informational sites that I use daily within my classes.

I have found the best focus/ attention/ learning happens when I combine a 10 to 15 minute target visual/ video/ interactive lesson with small groupwork involving drill & practice.

I can see my students focusing on the lesson, then working cooperatively with others nearby; effectively teaching & learning at the same time. A win-win.