hi everyone
my son, otis, seems to have capd, but he is only 6 so they are unable to test him yet. he has had the scan-c, which shows him to be borderline for 2 subtests and just normal for 2, and his WPPSI-III had him at superior or very superior for all but processing speed. we had been on an IEP for speech (apraxia) but he speaks so well he just got pulled off that now. (ok, 2 steps back, we just had our 3 year review for his IEP. they did lots of testing and found his speech to be good now, but found evidence of an LD, probably CAPD). I need to go back to the school and request some help for my son, but I am not sure what to ask for. They didnt seem to know that you cannot test for CAPD unitl you are 7 or 8, and the SLP didnt seem to have any input on what I could do to help him, other than have him sit near the teacher and minimize noise in the classroom. I would like him to be on an IEP so I can have the law of “improving to the max extent possible” on my side but feel like I need to have some concrete info to give them to help me get him there. all i heard at the IEP meeting was how great it was that he was at grade level. so…. if you are still reading, most of my google searches talk about it but few suggest therapy. i understnad he will probably always have a processing issue, and he will learn to cope, but isnt there things that the slp can do to help himget better at it? does anyone know? thanks for reading this far. i will take any info anyone has.
hilary
capd question
There are therapies that can help CAPD. http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/understand-apd-child.htm This article talks about testing by an audiologist and various therapies that can be helpful. Testing by an audiologist is the only way to truly diagnose APD.
My dd has APD and has done well with a variety of therapies. When in elementary school she used Earobics which is a computer game that trains the auditory system to hear letter sounds with various background noises. http://www.earobics.com/ She also used The Listening Program, an auditory integration therapy, to help balance her auditory system which was very off.
There are several books on Auditory Processing. When Listening Comes Alive by Paul Mandala, When The Brain Can’t Hear by Teri James Bellis and several more.
Classrooms can be frustrating for kids with auditory issues. FM systems can be very helpful, not only for the child with APD but also for any kid who has difficulty focusing on the teacher. Sitting closer to the teacher can be helpful. Written directions for multi step instructions. Any time you are giving him instructions have him look at you and repeat the direction back. This helps to make sure that he understands the direction.
I hope this helps. :)
Hi Hilary and welcome here,
Where you have really begun the process of becoming an expert on CAPD and education Laws?
Where you will need to take control.
Firstly in regard to testing at the age of 6?
The neural auditory pathways are still in a process of developing, up until around the age of 8.
So what they are unable to do until this age, is to give a formal diagnosis. As it can be simply a developmental delay?
Which the education system use as a legal delay, to providing support.
Yet many audiologists will test before the age of 8.
Where they can identify which particular areas of CAPD a child is having difficulty with.
Where it is made up of various Sub-Types.
Which is what you really need to identify.
Though the fact that mention seating in relation to minimizing noise difficulties.
Suggests that it could be the sub-type of Hyperacussis and Figure/Ground difficulties?
Yet it could also be a Dichotic problem, where one ear is deficient in processing auditory information?
My point is that you first need to get a clear idea of what sub-type you are dealing with?
Otherwise, you will spend many years on a trial and error discovery process?
That your son will have to endure!
So as I said at the beginning, you will really need to become an Expert, so that you explain and teach teachers what to do, each new year.