Central Auditory Processing and Reading

Not being an expert in CAPD, mind you, I’ll just get started and hope others join in.

Students who fail to process what they hear may have various speech and language issues that spill over into reading. It is fairly common for students with early SL issues to have early reading failure. They seem to lack elements of phonological processing, most notably phonemic awareness. Research is pretty clear on what affect PA has on early reading achievement.

You would teach no differently, just may need more phonemic awareness before beginning phonics. Earobics software is nice, too.

Jump in friends…the water’s fine.

I have taught kids with CAPD reading using Phono-Graphix. You don’t circumvent the disability, you teach to it. All of the processing problems, visual, auditory and visual motor are based in lack of phonemic awareness. Let me explain. If you can’t read the words in the book or on the board, then how can you visualize something that you can’t read? If you can’t hear the different sounds in the words because you haven’t been told to listen for them and told to pay attention to the sounds, how can you hear them? Visual motor is my favorite though. I asked my daughter, when she was younger, why she couldn’t copy from the board and she said, ” Da, mother, I can’t read, I can’t spell, so I stare at the board and hope that I don’t miss letters and hit the line.” If letters and sounds don’t mean anything to these kids and noone has directly taught them the phonemes, then this results in processing disorders. As soon as the student can read, the processing orders go away. I had three kids that when I was testing and asked them to decode ‘frog’, one said, something like /sl/ /ik/ /op/. This particular student had been held back for first grade and now was going to be held back for second grade because he couldn’t read. I had seven weeks for retesting. I worked with him one hour a week and his parents worked with him as well, in seven weeks, they retested and he passed the test, actually was the highest in his class! This student was 7 years old at the time. Work hard on auditory processing skills and the student will improve. I know that there are books in Sopris West that target auditory skills but I have never used them.

I recently finished the book “When the Brain Can’t Hear”. Excellent resource- clear explanations. I highly recommend it. You can get it from amazon or I found my copy at Barnes and Noble.
Robin

I would also recommend this book, as a parent of a child with CAPD. What it makes clear is that there is not ONE profile of a child with a central auditory processing disorder. It is also written in a very accessible way by one of the foremost experts in the field.

Beth

I’ve just finished the same book. I also found it helpful. Also, Lingui-systems has a book called “The Source for Processing Disorders” which is very helpful for educators and parents.

I like the Lindamood-Bell programs for working with kids with auditory processing disorders.

Michelle,

I have been using Phono-Graphix/Reading Reflex as a parent with my 9 year old (going into 4th grade) son this summer. I have been trying to teach him the correlation between letters/sounds/whole words for 5 years. He has been diagnosed with CAPD, NLD, and inattentive ADHD. For the first time, he is finally GETTING IT! And I’m just a mom (with really good support on this forum!). I’ve spent 1 school year fighting with the sped powers to get appropriate services (with very minimal luck), and paid three private tutors, who listen to me about what I perceive as his needs, and then go their own merry way - not giving it to him. So I have lost all hope of him getting him any appropriate reading education, except from me!

On behalf of all parents with children in public schools, thank you for asking the question!

Lil

Hi Lil,

I am so glad that it is working out! Great isn’t it?

Shay

Thank You Everyone for the information. It has helped. A couple of you mentioned Phono-Graphix. What is this program and where can I get information on it? Is it real expensive? My district won’t spend any more money this year, but I would be willing to put in my own money.
Thanks again.
Michele

Try incorporating auditory discrimination exercises in what you do, may be part of Phono=graphix, not familair with it. But it is in the book Reading Reflex which is about $16.00 at bookstores. THe kids may not be hearing the sounds in the first place thereby causing phonemic awareness issues. Working on lip reading type skills (Lindomood can help but so can your speech therapist). I highly recommend the book from Lingui-Systems mentioned too.Michele wrote:
>
> Thank You Everyone for the information. It has helped. A
> couple of you mentioned Phono-Graphix. What is this program
> and where can I get information on it? Is it real
> expensive? My district won’t spend any more money this year,
> but I would be willing to put in my own money.
> Thanks again.
> Michele

Phonographix is Reading Reflex. “Reading Reflex” is the book teaching phonographix designed for parents.

Yes, Shay, it is wonderful. He still “melts down” when I say we have to do a lesson - but I think that is because he truly didn’t know he didn’t get it, and is facing his reading problems for the first time. He has a good cry, calms himself down, and is then very interested and compliant. Poor kid! I do feel like the wicked witch of the west sometimes! :)

Lil

Michele,

You can also get “Reading Reflex” from Amazon.com. for about $12 (plus shipping and handling) if your local bookstore doesn’t have it.

Lil

The Phonographix web-site is www.readamerica.net. The teacher version is called “Word Work” ($175 without training). It has reproducibles to use when you are teaching a small group. I find the Word Work -Phonographix a little easier to use than the Reading Reflex book. Also, it would be beneficial to go for training if there are any sessions accessible to you.

Janis

Michelle, my son also has an auditory processing disorder. I, myself am a special needs teacher. There are many different kinds of processing disorders, but there are things you can do to help your pupils: give them short sentences when explaining, time to assimilate, make sure there are as few disturbing noises etc. while you are giving information/instructions, ask pupils to repeat to you what you have asked them to do, give them reassurance that they can stop you and re-wind you if you have gone too fast, (my pupils like this one) reassure them that if they ‘don’t get it’ you will not be cross with them, take the blame from them and give it to yourself…this is an especially rewarding strategy, as I have found that a no blame approach takes the panic away, and my own pupils are able to become less stressed during ‘teaching’ time. It is often during their own ‘work’ time they become frustrated. Again, a no blame approach, understanding, gentle reminders and lots of patience helps too. If it takes longer for a pupil to grasp a concept, does it matter? Not to me, but it sure does to our bosses! Nuts to them! e-mail me and I’ll try to point you in the direction of research which might help.
Janet Manogue (I’m in the UK)

Hi Michele, I have used a phonetic reading programme called Toe by Toe, here in UK. I have the address if you want to get in touch with them. Alternately, I know this is a big trust thing, but I have a copy I have used with my own son, (it has the recording in it unfortunately) but I am willing to send it to you to look at if you want to send me an address where it will reach you. This is a genuine offer of help. Please e-mail me. I’m also a special needs teacher. We should all help each other.
Janet Manogue.