Central Processing Disorder

Hi Crystal, I also have a auditory processing disorder, and I face many of the same problems exactly as you’ve described them. I, too, am very! frustrated at the lack of support or solutions I am finding (or more like… not finding).

I think it depends a lot on what situation you encounter. (do you work?) For me, I am a student, so I have the most trouble listening in class and when discussing classwork with my classmates. (And I can’t get accomodations!! that’s a different story) It’s affecting me more than I like to admit. I have no auditory memory whatsoever. I ask people to write down things for me, and I will write down whatever instructions that’s given to me. I have learned to write relatively neatly, very quickly.

What helps for me is preparation and anticipation. Have you consider carrying around a tape recorder (and actually using it)? And though it maybe difficult, sometimes telling the people you interact with the most about your problem may be helpful too. Learning sign language is neat too, you may want to check that out.

If you have any ideas, I’d like to hear how you’ve dealt with your problems.

Best wishes for now,
Michele

My son has auditory processing. I took him to a Children’s Hospital to be tested and a Dr. on the team was from Australia. My son could not understand a word he was saying. We figured out the accent was the problem. The Dr. was being trained here and then returning to Australia. Just thought I would bring a smile to anyone that read this.

Michelle
I have successfully held a in the medical field for many years but recently changed my job from the medical lab to the medical records dept. The lab after many years was very routine but now I must listen to what people are asking me to do and I find it miserable at times. Always asking people to repeat what they said, sometimes 4 times before I know what they are saying. It is hard on everyone. Carrying a tape recorder would not be of use to me or my situation and I am taking sign language. I am finding that I spend a lot of my time on the phone with many different people asking me for many different charts with many different names. I must write these names down and also the chart numbers so I can get the chart for them. I’m finding that I don’t understand what they are saying so I can write it. They may say and spell Smith but my hand can’t write it because it doesn’t understand what I just heard. You are right about not finding any help out there for us, I guess it is just live with it. Thanks for your response.

A job that demands so much of your listening skills must be difficult. I don’t really have any suggestions as to what you can do. If you could find a job that’s more suitable to your strengths, that’s nice, but I know that it’s easier said than done.

Try to decrease your fears may also help. Sometimes when you think you can’t, you are shutting down your brain. It maybe hard, but trust yourself, you can understand more than you think! Attitude plays a big role here.

I wish you good luck!

Have you read the book When the Brain Can’t Hear by Teri Bellis? She talks about both adults and kids in there and accomodations that help. She talks about a hygienist who had CAPD. The dentist and she used a FM system very successfully. Then she taked about a man who made a midlife career change to be a stock broker. He couldn’t do it because of his CAPD (which he didn’t know he had). He had to change careers.

Anyway, some jobs are great, some jobs can be adapted, and others just don’t work for people with CAPD. Your current one sound more like the later.

Beth

My 10 year old son was just diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). There are several good websites. www.ncapd.org has a message board along with other valuable info. There is another site www.apduk.org that was developed by a man (dolfrog/Graeme) who was diagnosed with APD as an adult. I know if you contact him through his site or post a message on NCAPD site, he will be able to give you info on other places for info. on adult APD. I believe there is even an on-line group for adults. Hope this helps.
Sincerely, Eileen

This may sound a bit off the wall but does is this disorder worse when you have to filter out background noise. Could a hearing aid that filers out certain frequencies and back ground sounds.

Even thought this solution has not been tried it may work perhaps,depending what exact area in the brain/ inner ear connection is involved giving the brain less information to process make sense but then again the genius psychologist probably have somr theory as to why this wouldn’t help.

I have visual processing problems and I have found that “filtering out” unnessecary visual information my visual processing is improved.

The professionals offer very few real world solutions but they are sure really good at maknig a profit from something they are unqualified to do. Anybody got any snake oil.