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Does anyone else out there have a child with APD?
by April2, May 07, 2008 11:35AM
Since Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) greatly mimics ADD/ADHD I thought I'd post this in the ADD/ADHD forum. There's not a forum for APD although I've requested one.
I'm wondering how many others out there have a child with APD? My child was diagnosed with this four years ago and has had very little help. Teachers don't seem to understand this as well as ADD/ADHD. I've tried to get our insurance to pay for extra help and beyond the testing they won't do anymore.
I also got her an IEP done on her through her local school district and they said that she didn't qualify for Special Ed so they lost interest and that one went no where either.
No one seems to want to help and her teachers have done nothing except sit her in the front of the classroom. She's now in high school and things are harder. They expect more. They expect the kids to do work more independently.
She has a hard time with verbal instructions but won't ask for help because she doesn't want to make the teacher mad. She's had a few teachers get mad at her for asking more than once about something. They say she's not paying attention. She also takes longer to do tests, etc. She just had a teacher take away a test yesterday and gave her no credit because she said she was taking too long. She keeps feeling humiliated in school and made to feel stupid. It has really affected her self-esteem.
I suspect she also has ADD (though not the hyper part) because she gets so easily distracted. But this could be the APD too since kids with APD have a hard time blocking out noises to concentrate on what they're supposed to be concentrating on. She works great one on one, which I've done in the Summer to help her. I hired a Math tutor a couple of Summers ago and she did great. I've thought about home schooling her but she's in high school now and the thought terrifies me! Also, she's very resistant to that thought. She wants to be in regular school. I hate to see her struggle though. She's already going to need an extra year to graduate because she's lost some credits. I worry that she'll give up and want to drop out (which I won't let her, of course). She does tend to give up if she falls too far behind or just doesn't understand.
Is there anyone else out there in the same boat as me? I feel so alone in all of this. I want to help her, I'm just not sure what to do or how to help her. No one seems willing to help, especially now that she's older. It seems they do more when they're younger. I think they expect more of them at this age. Sorry this is so long and rambling.
Is there anyone out there who is familiar with APD or has a child with it? What resources did you use and how were you able to best help them? I'd really like to get as much information as I can.
Thank you so much.
April
I'm wondering how many others out there have a child with APD? My child was diagnosed with this four years ago and has had very little help. Teachers don't seem to understand this as well as ADD/ADHD. I've tried to get our insurance to pay for extra help and beyond the testing they won't do anymore.
I also got her an IEP done on her through her local school district and they said that she didn't qualify for Special Ed so they lost interest and that one went no where either.
No one seems to want to help and her teachers have done nothing except sit her in the front of the classroom. She's now in high school and things are harder. They expect more. They expect the kids to do work more independently.
She has a hard time with verbal instructions but won't ask for help because she doesn't want to make the teacher mad. She's had a few teachers get mad at her for asking more than once about something. They say she's not paying attention. She also takes longer to do tests, etc. She just had a teacher take away a test yesterday and gave her no credit because she said she was taking too long. She keeps feeling humiliated in school and made to feel stupid. It has really affected her self-esteem.
I suspect she also has ADD (though not the hyper part) because she gets so easily distracted. But this could be the APD too since kids with APD have a hard time blocking out noises to concentrate on what they're supposed to be concentrating on. She works great one on one, which I've done in the Summer to help her. I hired a Math tutor a couple of Summers ago and she did great. I've thought about home schooling her but she's in high school now and the thought terrifies me! Also, she's very resistant to that thought. She wants to be in regular school. I hate to see her struggle though. She's already going to need an extra year to graduate because she's lost some credits. I worry that she'll give up and want to drop out (which I won't let her, of course). She does tend to give up if she falls too far behind or just doesn't understand.
Is there anyone else out there in the same boat as me? I feel so alone in all of this. I want to help her, I'm just not sure what to do or how to help her. No one seems willing to help, especially now that she's older. It seems they do more when they're younger. I think they expect more of them at this age. Sorry this is so long and rambling.
Is there anyone out there who is familiar with APD or has a child with it? What resources did you use and how were you able to best help them? I'd really like to get as much information as I can.
Thank you so much.
April
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We finally wrote up a success plan, but it already is not specific enough so I will present them with one I'll write up.
Kids with APD need all information in written form. The teachers need to write all assignments and due dates and sign the agenda. They need to check with the student every week for homework due. Design a notebook for communication with the teachers and folders for homework.
We found an eye doctor who does vision therapy. This is helping a bit, as we just started. It will take about 8 months, once a week. http://www.optometrists.org/
Next we will start auditory therapy - google this - interactive metronome. http://www.interactivemetronome.com/IMPublic/Home.aspx
Is is supposed to be an excellent tool.
We had our son evaluated by a PhD who was very helpful. She said his ADHD (mostly distractability) must be treated with meds, so he is now on vyvanse. He will need a note taker when he goes to college. Next school year, we will ask them to assign a "buddy" who will check his assignments, etc, and help him understand assignments.
He is a smart kid and gifted in some areas. He thrives at fast-paced topics, and loses it with anything slow. With APD, when information comes it, it goes to one place in the brain, gets processed somewhere else, then turned around for output. His pathways are absent, so slow paced info (like teachers giving homework) is lost or mistaken. Very frustrating. The key is getting the child's world organized.
I hope this helps. Good luck, and I hope you'll followup with another post in the future.
http://www.adhd.com.au/neurotherapy.htm
Bless you!