Auditory processing disorder - does anyone have knowledge or experience?

[nomadwantshome]

It's for me actually. Whilst researching my ds's ADHD Ive come across this syndrome and it fits me to a tee. I actually feel very emotional about it and am desperate to find out about it.

The Ndcs has a fact sheet

you need to speak to dolfrog - or search for dolfrog's posts. x

DS has an auditory processing difficulty - not sure about disorder. Was tested for dyslexia by school who are baffled by him. He reads brilliantly but has no idea about sounds in words and can't spell at all. He's 7. He struggles to process 2/3 step instructions. We have been given lots of exercises to help - not sure if that is any use or not!

nomadwantshome

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) has a genentic origin, although it can also be acquired via ear infections such as Otitis Media with Effusion (glue Ear) in childrens, and / or via brain injury, substance abuse, stroke, dementia or progressive illness as part of Aphasia in adults. The Medical Research Council have leaflet for adults who may have APD (see the link above).

APD is a listening disability, which was first identified in the USA some 30 years ago but only officially recognised in the UK in 2004. Auditory Processing Disorder in the UK is the main support organisation/ web site.
There is an Adult APD forum which is part of the Yahoo group network, which is now over 10 years old with some 600+ members The OldAPDs
You may find the APDUK Newsletters of some interest especially the online research articles in No.1 and No.2

survivingsummer

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is one of the underlying cognitive causes of the developmental dyslexic symptom.
APD is a listening disability, or not being able to process all that you hear. This causes problems following conversations, and following multiple verbal instructions.
Those who have APD tend to have a delay in acquisition of speech, as we have problems processing the speech of our parents and peers, which we need to reprocess in the form of our own speech. We have problems processing the gaps between sounds that can make up a word, and even the gaps between words in rapid speech. So we learn the whole sound of a word, and as a result we can only match the whole sound of a word to the whole graphic representation of a word in a written format. So we can not use phonics, which for me is an abstract concept I understand, but can never cognitively use.

Thsoe who have APD are eaither nature visual leaners or become visual learners to compensate for their auditory processing deficit, you might find I think in pictures, you teach in words: The gifted visual-spatial learner, The Power of Visual Thinking and Teaching Reading to Visual-Spatial Learners worth having a look at.

dolfrog - that is really interesting thank you! DS has amazing visual skills and they think this is how he has learned to read. Weirdly - he was very early to talk although still says some sounds incorrectly at 7. Phonics seem to make sense to him but he never used them to learn to read. School have been really good and assessed him although they are still confused as to what the centre of his difficulties might be but think auditory processing difficulty explains some of it!

Thanks everyone for your info. Dolfrog - I have joined the Old APDS and already benefiting - thanks so much. I'm half way through looking at all your links. Thanks again, so much. BTW am coddycat on the above forum.

nomadwantshome

You may like to have a look at my own web site which has been designed to show how i think, and how i prefer information to be presented.