A while back I started a discussion about the Tachistocope and how my son couldn’t do the Tachistocope task. Beth, you had made a comment about how having a visual processing problem alone may not affect reading but having that along with other problems could cause reading problems.
I just came across an article titled “Information-Processing Patterns in Specific Reading Disability” written by Catherine Watson and Dale Willows printed in the Journal of Learning Disabilities April 1995, Volume 28, Issue 4 that supports your thoughts.
They found kids fell into three subtypes.
1. kids with limitations of symbolic processing/ memory,
2. kids with the same as subtypes #1 combined with visual processing deficiences, and
3. kids with both subtypes as #1 and #2 plus having deficits in rapid naming.
They state on page 18 “…suggests that visual-processing difficulties affect reading performance when they accompany other problems.” So, your comments are supported with research. Just thought you would be interested in hearing that!
I found this article very interesting because my son has a difficult time naming items quickly along with his problems with visual processing deficit. This report suggests that having deficits in rapid naming is a concern for kids learning to read. I am still looking for ways to improve my son’s processing speed. I would welcome any suggestions, from anyone, on how to remediate this.
Donna in MO
word retrieval vs rapid naming
Beth, thank you for the term “interhemispheric-integration”. I will do some research on that. My son has had tests, a couple years back with an audiologist, but everything had come up neg thus far. So, I am looking forward to see what happens with this eval which is being done at the local U. Is there a specific test to test for this interhemispheric-integration problem?
Yes, Neuronet has helped with processing issues. His rapid naming tasks have gotten faster. My son, as you know, has been through a lot of program and he just really needs a break so, I asked him to do just 8 weeks of NeuroNet. So, for doing only 8 weeks of NeuroNet, I feel like it was worth it. I have seen much more gains doing NeuroNet with my dd who has language/speech issues. So, I am very glad I went to the conference!
You mentioned that your son has word retrieval problems. How do you know if a child has word retrieval problem vs a problem with rapid naming? Or is the problem with being unable to rapidly name objects a problem with word retrieval? Do you see what I am getting at? I want to help my son with processing speed which I see is a problem when doing a rapid naming tasks. But, is this problem with rapid naming really a problem with word retrieval? And if it is, what helps this? (A good firend of mine called and we talked about this same questions just this morning! Weird!)
Sorry about answering with a ton of questions. Hope you or someone else have some insights.
Donna in MO
Re: word retrieval vs rapid naming
Donna,
Eight weeks probably isn’t enough to get full benefit from NN but I understand the therapy burnout issue. Perhaps you can return to NN later—maybe in the summer. This is the best thing I know for processing issues.
Regarding word retreival versus rapid naming: I hate to venture an answer because I am sure those much wiser than I will do better but I will just the same. The rapid naming tests and exercises require visual-verbal integration. Word retrieval strictly doesn’t. It would seem to me that a child with word retrieval would have problems with rapid naming but one with rapid naming could possibly not have a problem with word retrieval. In my experience, word retrieval problems are diagnosed by SLT on the basis of rapid naming tests. My son has problems with both—and we still haven’t got his rapid naming scores to the point of automaticity, although he has improved tremendously.
We will return to rapid naming but I have put it on hold because we are now redoing the AP portion of PACE. (The rapid naming is difficult for my son as is AP work and there is only so much difficult work you can do at once). My son was unable to complete the AP part of PACE, despite 4 months of effort. We did The Listening Program and I tried it again. Much to my delight, he is having a much easier time and I fully anticipate us being able to complete it. How I wish we had done TLP first!!! His small motor sequencing has improved as well from doing TLP and he suddenly can carry a tune!!!
As far as auditory integration deficits go, I think it was the results of the SSW that triggered the diagnosis. Be aware that there are a number of different models and audiologists interpret things somewhat differently. There also are several different sorts of integration problems—intrahemispheric (within a hemisphere), interhemispheric (right to left) and some name that I can’t remember for front to back of the brain.
Beth
Re: word retrieval vs rapid naming?
>It would seem to me that a child with word retrieval would have problems with rapid naming but one with rapid naming could possibly not have a problem with word retrieval.<
Hi Beth,
Interestingly, my dd doesn’t seem to have rapid naming issues as determined by abilities reflected during PACE and NN activities. I first thought rapid naming and word retrieval issues would go hand-in-hand but rapid naming is more visual in nature where I think word retrieval is perhaps more auditory in nautre (??). However, she does have word retrieval problems in conversation and written expression. Her word retrieval disorder (dysnomia) diagnosis did not come from an SLP so I’ll need to go back and see what testing was done to make this diagnosis.
Blessings, teresa
Re: word retrieval vs rapid naming?
Teresa,
Must be something about the visual that cues her. I know rapid naming requires visual-auditory integration which is a skill needed for reading. Word retrieval doesn’t require that integration but need to find word from the “file” system. Maybe the visual helps her find the file and without it, it is just more difficult.
I was reluctant to explain the relationship because I was afraid I might be wrong, generalizing from a single case, and I was!!! But hey it is interesting.
Beth
Re: word retrieval diagnosis
Hi,
My dd’s word retrieval disorder (dysnomia) diagnosis was determined through a Psycho-Educational Evaluation by the interpretation of the Verbal Domain of the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-3 (Detroit-3) using various theoretical composites including the Sentence Imitation and Word Sequencing portion and also by the Comprehensive Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (CREVT).
Blessings, momo
Hi Donna,
Well, it only makes sense but it is interesting to see the research. I saw below you are also having your son tested for CAPD. You might interested to know that when I had my son reevaluated this year that the audiologist gave me the technical stuff on one particular deficit (interhemispheric-integration). One subtype of this is often accompanied by visual processing deficits. I have long felt like my son’s problems are all interelated but found this very interesting. The discouraging part is that a number of studies have shown that kids with this particular CAPD profile have the most severe academic problems. Now the word retrieval problems, which my son also has, is (as I understand) actually integration of front and back of the brain. At this point, the audiologist we are seeing for Neuronet actually thinks this is more of a problem for him and this is what we are addressing in therapy.
Is NN helping the processing issues?
Beth
P.S. Email me if you want to know more–some gets way too technical for a general board