Auditory Memory and Auditory Processing - advice needed please

[Eloise73]

Our 4 year old DD (ASD) has delays in auditory memory and processing. I was wondering if anyone had any exercises they've used/tried to help with this.

Also, is there any kind of therapy that would help improve this? Particularly something we could learn?

Thanks in advance

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is one of the many cognitive conditions that can combine to cause ASD

Auditory Processing Disorder(APD) is a listening disability, or having problems processing sound based information. Those who have APD have poor auditory memories, and have problems processing the meaning from sound based information. This can be a problem with human communication which tends to be predominantly sound based; speech and its visual notation or the written word. APD is also one of the three underlying cognitive causes of the dyslexic symptom.

There are many support programs available, but none have demonstrated in research randomised test conditions to provide consistent levels of support and benefit. Computer-based auditory training (CBAT) Working around these types of disability is about two issues, understanding the nature of the cognitive barriers or problems, and understanding the alternative compensating skills and abilities each individual is able to use and develop, which has to be done on a case by case basis.

You may find two recent articles of some interest. Information Processing Disorders and Low-Tech Speech Therapy and the recently revised Wikipedia Auditory processing disorder article

Things I've had success with are: (in order of cost)

Earobics

Tinsley House

Auditory Integration Training.

DD is now fine, so I'm not looking for anything else, but two other program's I'd try are:

Sound reading

Fastforword.

Hi,
Ds1 has auditory memory and processing problems and has responded really well to the listening programme. There are also DIY exercises you can do at home. It may not be the right level for your dd but for ds1 I recorded a dozen everyday sounds onto the computer (or ipod device or similar), then googled pictures representing the sounds, e.g. door for doorbell, pig for oinking noise etc. You can use those soundbooks with sound effects to save time. Then i set out 3 cards for him to look at, and played a sound. He had to choose the correct card. Once he could do that, you can play 2 sounds in a row and he needs to pick the correct 2 cards. I couldn't believe how tricky it was for him to move from 1 to 2 sounds. hth

Thank you so much for your posts, lots of ideas and help.

Did you purchase Earobics to use at home or did you go to a clinic or see a therapist like Usha Patel at the Raviv clinic in London? Anyone use her?

JoMaman: Great tips, am going to start that asap. DD could probably maybe 2 sounds in a row but after 2 she cannot do it so we really want to help her. She's also not interested at all in hearing stories etc and just tunes out which makes sense because by the time we get to sentence 3 she can't remember what sentence 1 was about.

Where did you all get auditory integration therapy? FastForWord has a lot of good reviews too, lots to look into, thank you again.

I bought Earobics myself. Cost about £50. And DD used it every day for a few months. It's fairly good.

USA Patel does FastForword and I've spoken to her about it, but in the end haven't needed it.

I did AIT at sound learning centre. Very expensive - but in my case was worth every penny. I've done it with both DS1 and DD and will almost certainly do it with DS2 as well.

I'm fairly sure that AIT is cheaper than FF, and I would def recommend AIT before FF - but of course that's just based on my 2 kids.

this is where I bought Earobics from.

You're a star, thank you. i'm guessing AIT will cost a couple of thousand? Will try Earobics first. Would be good to have DD assessed.

Her language comprehension is now at NT level and she tested well with the SALT a few weeks ago, her communication is great too and she's finally conversing . But she is really struggling with the auditory memory and processing, can't wait to try the Earobics, thanks again.

You can test out some of the games in Earobics here. My DS1 also has audio processing issues and loves Earobics (and it works as well for phonic awareness for his sister).

AIT is only £1200. :)

£400 for an initial assessment, where they'll assess her hearing, vision and retained reflexes. They should do an audiogram as part of the assessment. Plus auditory discrimination.

If they think her auditory problems could be helped by AIT they'll recommend it.

It costs £800 for the therapy, and it only takes 10 days.

And it was incredibly effective for DS and DD.

Eloise73

There is no cure for auditory processing disorder (apd), none of these programs is a cure for APD, they can only provide minimal support, and provide some introduction to a specific type of coping strategy, which may mot match your childs alternative compensating ability options.
All of the program providers have very good marketing techniques honed in the USA over the last 20 years or so. All at one time or another claimed to be the cure for APD.
So the real issue is does your DD have clinically diagnosable APD, if this is the case then the lack of technical knowledge of these program providers could do more harm than good.

There is one contributor to this thread who has already admitted that she only cares what has worked for her DC and has no interest in what may or not work for others. Which means that she has no interest if any program she may recommend can cause your DC harm.

So read the research, find out the true nature of your DDs auditory processing issues, and work out which if any of these programs may match your DDs naturally developed coping abilities, which can provide some form of quantified support. Otherwise you could be wasting your money, and creating false hopes and destroying your DDs self esteem, if the program does not work as expected. Which has happened wit many families both here in the UK and elsewhere.

Dolfrog: I appreciate your post, thank you. But I would never embark on any programme lightly or which may harm my daughter.

I've spent a lot of today researching this stuff (am full of cold so gave me an excuse to stay in bed!). Earobics sounds really good and i'm going to look into it a bit more.

I think you cannot really diagnose APD until kids are over a certain age, 8 I think so we wouldn't know for a while. So far she's testing at NT level for everything except the auditory memory and processing which is the opposite and she's testing very low. I've ordered some auditory games and cards from the website 'different roads to learning' (a dangerous website to go to with a credit card - but its for DD so its worth it!) so we can vary some of the games we do now at home to help with the auditory memory.

Eloise73

The current position regarding age and APD assessment and diagnosis is 6 years of age from Great Ormond Street Hospital, last time I discussed this issue with them late last year.
coping with APD issues is not about improving the existing deficit of disorder, more about finding and using alternative ways of processing the auditory information. Living with APD is not easy, especially if all the family have various types of APD, different severities, and different ways of work around their APD issues.
We have tried some of the programs mentioned but without much success, and others who have contacted APDUK over the years have had the same mixed stories some successes, and some complete failures. The real problem is that there is such a wide range of APD related issues that is not possible for a single program to address them all, and then there are the wide range of alternative compensating abilities we can adopt and use, or in some cases notable to adopt and use.
The researchers are still trying ot understand the complex neurology surrounding APD, which is part of the even more complex set of issues involved with issues that can cause autism etc.
APD is one of the underlying cognitive subtypes of developmental dyslexia, those who have APD have problems using phonics, of many like me can not use phonics at all, we have to use alternative ways of learning to read, and learn new words throughout our lives.

That's really interesting, dolfrog. The EP has said my dd aged 13 has auditory dyslexia. He said it's not severe but is putting together some support package for her. Is this the same as APD? I have suspected APD for a while. Salt and EP identified issues retaining auditory only info and sequencing. Sorry for hijacking thread OP.

Thanks

Dollfrog - my son has been refused a referral not once but 3 times to GOSH because of my local CAHMS. I'm not the only parent in this position that I've met by a long shot!

For some of us a clinical diagnosis isn't going to happen, but we still have to try and help our kids. Noone chooses to let their child suffer.

Hearing from other parents what has helped their kids is really useful. I then go off and read all the research etc I can get my hands on, before choosing whether or not to try a particular therapy.

In the absence of help from the NHS parents are left to sift through the snake oil salesmen alone, and turn to each other for advice.

No therapy works for every child, however some are harmful such as the chelation therapy for autisic children that has killed. I don't mind wasting my money if a therapy doesn't work, but I'd never forgive myself if a private therapy caused damage to my child, or made his issues worse.

If you would really like to help a list on the apd website a rating for potential harm caused would be very helpful to parents.

sazale

"auditory dyslexia" is the invention of the dyslexia industry especially EPs who are not qualified to assess and diagnose Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) which could very well be the underlying cognitive cause of your DDs dyslexic symptom.

Developmental dyslexia in an ideal world should be assessed by a multi-discipline team: an audiologist to assess the possible auditory processing issues, an optometrist to assess the possible visual processing issues, and a psychiatrist to asses the possible attention deficit issues. Which in the case of APD should be followed by a further multi -discipline assessment for APD, andiologist to assess and diagnose any APD issues, a speech and language pathologist to assess how the diagnosed APD issues affect speech and language, and a psychologist to assess the living with the diagnosed APD issues.

All of this will initially be expensive, but in the longer term it will save money as all of the related issues should be diagnosed, understood, and supported from a single assessment process.

bochead

we at APDUK have been lobbying for many years now for more APD assessment centres in the UK, it is more political than logistical.
The politics of disability is a minefield, mainly populated by program providers and their supporters. The problem regarding APD recognition is that it treads on the toes of so many others, who already have their influential contacts in high places.

So for instance APD is one of the underlying cognitive causes of dyslexia. Do the BDA and the UK dyslexia industry want to understand APD. Answer NO, because APD conflicts with the program which funds their activities, which is based on phonics. There are also many programs which are associated with APD remediation which may be viewed as competition. The UK dyslexia industry has been trying to conceal the international dyslexia research of the last decade or so precisely because it conflicts with its marketing needs.

APD is also related to the communications issues which are part of the communication issues in a DX of ASD. Again there is very little interest in the actual cognitive issues that cause ASD, the main debate is about getting a DX and the type of remediation program, or the type of program provider. More marketing.

Last time i spoke to the consultants at Great Ormond Street Hospital regarding APD assessments, it was mentioned that two years ago they we seeing 2 referrals a month, last September they were getting 5 a day. And the cost of an NHS APD assessment was then £2000.

Dollfrog - The dyslexia and the asd stuff you said fits my experience exactly. The Dyslexia Association especially is a little frustrating as they are so expensive, and the marketing is so deeply embedded in many schools!. Not all audiologists have heard of apd.

bochead

"Not all audiologists have heard of apd"
Unfortunately there is a high level of professional ignorance in the UK. Especially when the audiologists did not train or qualify in the USA or UK.
This is a general problem in the UK health, education, and support sectors, where professionals do not have demonstrate that they are keeping pace with the rapid advances in research and understanding of some very complex issues, ans where the politicians prefer the professionals not push for better and improved quality of services inline with the current and even old existing research. This could be improved if these types of professionals had a three or four year license to practice, and as part of their license renewal they had to demonstrate that they have kept up to date with current research advances. This happens for speech and language pathologists in the USA.

I am in a unique position, having founded APDUK in 2002, and working with the leading UK researchers at the Medical Research Councils Institute of Hearing Research, and consultants at the leading UK hospital that diagnose APD, both children and adults. I have had to explain APD to a local audiologist at our local ENT department, so that we could have one of our DSs referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This issue has been discussed in research paper Auditory processing disorder in children: Awareness and attitudes of UK GPs and ENT Consultants which i have included in my UK APD links list
As a matter of interest APDUK is in the process of restructuring and re-organising, so it is possible to become part of the running APDUK