APD treatments

[redandblacks]

DS is borderline APD according to the consultant who tested him. I have fought for a lot of help for him but the idea of a digital aid worries me somewhat. I just feel that he is in Y2 so he has perhaps not go there yet in terms of sound processing (thought they were meant to give it until 9 or so@) so they are jumping the gun a bit. I also notice that there are other therapies available and I wd rather try those first. He is down for one prog.
I am concerned that the digiear will overcompensate and he will become reliant upon it for life. He is not a child with a genuine impairment - has been in MS since the start and has finally developed the skills to pay attention in class etc in large gp setting.
I get the impression that they would expect him to wear it all the time even in small gp work which is causing him no problems at the moment.
It is as though I cannot specify when would be appropriate and when he should be given the chance to develop his abilities naturally.
I am also concerned that it is a bit like wearing glasses ?(where you are given them to see the blackboard though end up needing them all the time within a year simply because it becomes a habit). If his disability was so severe than I would understand but he is clearly coping albeit suboptimally and is not really academic anyway. I would rather he was free of this external ear piece which could become a permanent thing? Any insights to share?

[wasuup3000]

I think you are over thinking things. He needs his teachers to have a microphone and him to have a headphone right so he can process what is being said more easily. This in turn will help him understand and learn more easily in class. So if a child needs glasses you would not give them glasses? I am confused really as to what the problem is. If it helps how can it be a bad thing?

[redandblacks]

well, it is largely untested and there is not much research out to say that is a more superior method to listening progs - it is several 000 cheaper though so I think that it addresses symptoms rather than getting to the root of the problem and attempting to change the child's ability to process. It is almost as though they are adapting the child to fit the large, noisy school rather than suggesting that he should attend a smaller more adapted school as the consultant did.

[wasuup3000]

Is it just APD that is the difficulty, could you apply for a statement or have more say over the school that you want for him?