Auditory Processing Disorder

[Mumtryinghard]

DD13 has been diagnosed with mild APD. She’s flown under the radar so far but it’s just been picked up. No major academic issues but she’s clearly not reaching her potential. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to support her or suggestions of books to read?

Hi OP! I’ve got this too. Some suggestions that may or may not work for your daughter: she should ideally sit facing the teacher, preferably at the front. In restaurants, it’s helpful to sit in the corner, so you don’t get background sound coming from behind you.

She could give Loop earplugs a whirl too, to see if they are helpful.

For language listening exams, she should be able to sit them in a separate room with headphones.

Might be worth looking at microphone/headset sort of tech for lectures in the future (if applicable).

When you speak to her, do get her attention before you start to tell her about something/ask her to do something.

Subtitles on tv can be useful.

@PeachPumpkin thank you for the loop recommendation - there are a lot of options, I struggle with listening in restaurants and dd struggles with background chat in class...do you know which options would suit either of us by any chance?
We love subtitles.

I would have thought the Loop Engage would be your best bet. There’s a facebook group and a lot of chat about them on Reddit. To be honest, I have Loop Engage and I’m still not sure what to make of them. I know that some people really like them. I think there’s a money back guarantee too.

Thank you! Am a bit cautious as I know dd would wear her headphones all day if she could - she likes to hide behind them sometimes I think - so I don't want it to be a barrier for her but I actually really can't concentrate if music is on and more than 1 person near me is talking, so I will try them out first.

Thanks PeachPumpkin, I’m going to have a look at Loop. I’m struggling a bit to come up with strategies at home and your advice is helpful. Keep the tips coming!

Any chance she is autistic or has ADHD? I would have said no to this question about DD2 while at school but it became apparent at uni that they had ADHD. The consultant psychiatrist who did the diagnosis said DD2 is probably also autistic. Anyway, yes DD2 has auditory processing disorder - it's a common feature of autism and ADHD - and everything in a lecture or tutorial goes in one ear and out the other. She copes by not going to lectures and watching recordings of the lectures, although I know this is probably not an option for a school kid.

With revision we do no more than 30min bursts and she remembers more if I can make a rhyme or song out of key points. I don't know if this is connected but I often find I get songs in my head when I am stressed (the noise in restaurants makes me anxious and stressed) that when I have time to recognise have lyrics that reflect the situation. I hope that makes sense, but if I am struggling to hear someone talk about a breakup in a noisy bar I might get No Doubt's "Don't Speak" in my head randomly going round and round on top. When revision happens I try to make the topic into a song that reflects what the topic is about so it sticks. I find it's an odd type of musicality that can be used to boost memory where dd gets overwhelmed by large amounts of bullet points on A4, she can happily sing 4 choruses in her head and write it out.

Who diagnosed? They should be making recommendations about the support DD requires.

It can help to have instructions written down and using visual supports. Think it about placement within the classroom. Putting homework online if they don’t already. Pre-teaching key vocabulary. Some with auditory difficulties find a Roger pen helpful &/or sound training.

An ed psych assessment can help. Input from a Teacher of the Deaf can be useful for some - although many LAs claim this is out of the ToD’s remit unless it is an EHCP, I’m afraid. You have nothing to lose by asking, though.

If Loops don’t work, I can recommend Bose noise cancelling headphones.

I’ve just googled Roger Pen? Isn’t that just for people who wear hearing aids?
What's sound training?

She's been diagnosed by the SENCO but hasn’t had formal assessment yet, It's mild so unlikely to meet the threshold for a deaf teacher. She’s not deaf, it’s the processing.

School have been good but I’m trying to educate myself.

The SENCO can’t diagnose. If you can get a referral, there is a well regarded clinic at UCL.

ToD can work with DC who have APD. Some LAs say DC don’t have a hearing impairment so don’t meet the threshold. This isn’t true. DC with APD can and do fall under the remit of the ToD, and do benefit from it. Sadly, in some LAs they refuse unless it is in an EHCP. However, you may need a formal diagnosis.

Some with APD benefit from a Roger Pen. Sound training can include things like LACE by Neurotone and the SOUND STORM app.

She definitely doesn’t have any hearing impairment - she’s known as Radar at home and we lived in the US where she was tested extensively. It’s mild APD, hence it’s never been picked up before and whilst SENCO can’t make official diagnosis, a good experienced SENCO can join the dots whilst we’re waiting for formal assessment. It is mild, I doubt she’d qualify for extra time/support in exams. Oddly it wasn’t picked up initially by school but by a sports coach who said that something wasn’t right. As she’s not disruptive school just thought she was a bit dim sometimes (paraphrasing, school never used the word dim, before someone leaps on that).

We suspect my dd1 (16) has this but haven't managed to get a formal diagnosis. All hearing tests came back normal. She has been using loop earphones during her language lessons and they help somewhat.

This is the equipment that can be very helpful for an individual with APD. https://www.connevans.co.uk/catalogue/1163924/Phonak-Roger-Focus-II-Receiver---bundles-with-transmitter?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1546426305&utm_content=58659447773&utm_term=&gadid=293639242260&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1546426305&gbraid=0AAAAADOstHKXCU9J9-RQ3vRxOH9pq4g5B&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp4Szq5OJjQMVg5lQBh1VRxqREAAYASAAEgKZYvD_BwE

My DD used this equipment at Uni- funded by the DSA but schools and SEN services do not have the funding for this sort of thing for APD and most ToD services are unlikely to provide this as they would for a pupil with a diagnosed hearing loss.

I am ToD and although have given advice to schools regarding pupils with. APD ( diagnosed by an audiologist ) because there is no hearing loss, the funding stream to provide equipment like this has to come from a different SEN budget.

Just to throw in as well… obviously everyone is different, but I’ve found that stress, tiredness and illness all make a difference to my ability to process what is being said.

In small group work, perhaps see if your daughter’s group is allowed to leave the room to go somewhere quieter. I understand this isn’t always possible.

What is ToD that you keep mentioning?

Glad I’ve found this thread. Son was diagnosed with APD last year and we’ve had our head in the sand a bit because he was adamant he wouldn’t want to wear hearing aids (it was recommended the teacher wear a mic) and to be honest I also felt overwhelmed with it all.

He had the APD assessment following an inconclusive dyslexia assessment done by a psychologist who recommended based on her observation that an APD assessment would be worthwhile.

We got the assessment done privately. Link to the place below. Had to have a hearing assessment first (no issues) before the APD assessment. Unfortunately it was ££££

thehearingclinic.co.uk/hearing-services/auditory-processing-disorder/

ToD means Teacher of the Deaf.

A SENCO suspecting APD isn’t the same thing as having a diagnosis.

As I said, DC with APD (mild or not) can benefit from ToD input. It is about more than the ability to hear noise. As I also said, sadly, many LAs refuse unless it is in an EHCP. This is because of funding and/or they have a limited understanding of APD and/or many LAs fail to understand the full scope of ToDs.

Feel free to ignore if you disagree. You asked for advice and that is part of my advice based on years of supporting families with DC with SEN (including cases where LAs have been criticised at SENDIST for refusing to accept the child’s NHS APD diagnosis is a hearing disorder) and having 2 DC with APD who have ToD input in their EHCPs.

@StrivingForSleep - can I ask please , are you children’s EHCP’s for APD alone or combined with other conditions? I’ve assumed that our son wouldn’t meet the threshold for an EHCP so we haven’t tried.

I’ve got this and my biggest bug bear is when people repeat things loudly when I don’t hear them the first time because I don’t need this, I just haven’t tuned into them the first time

There is an excellent FB group APD support that is worth joining for advice.

@SocksShmocks My DC have multiple diagnoses so not APD alone. EHCPs are based on needs, though, rather than diagnosis. I have previously supported someone to get an EHCP for their DC whose only formal diagnosis at the beginning of the EHCNA process was APD (they do now have other diagnoses).