Do any of your kids have Auditory Processing Disorder?

Check with an ENT well versed in working with kids. Mine discussed various possibilities with me regarding one of my sons. He explained 3 levels of testing. I believe one deals with auditory processing disorder. It was determined that all is OK at this time with my son so I didn't pursue it further.

We will be testing our 7 year old soon. He also has sensory processing issues and a variety of other challenges. I question more whether his issues might be related to a difficult delivery (he was a c-section) vs adoption related.

I know a girl who was tested. They thought it might have been a result of severe, repeated deep inner ear infections. (She tested negative in any event). I've also heard head trauma could be a cause. From what I understand, it's physical damage to either the ear or brain. I don't think it could be adoption related. Although it could be related to something that happened to your daughter before you brought her home. Or even in utero.

My son has just been diagnosed with Auditory Processing/Auditory Memory Disorder. He was tested by an educational psychologist and then had an evaluation by a speech/language specialist. DS is 9 and in third grade. He is smart and was coping in school prior to starting third grade when things get much more complicated. In KG-2 he was "learning to read", but in 3rd they start "reading to learn" if that makes any sense. In addition he also has dx's for ADHD and SPD. This affects a lot in his school work. He reads well and quickly for his age, but when he gets done he can not tell you what he read. He can't put what happened into the order in which they happened. Although reading isn't "auditory" it is because his brain "hears" him reading to himself. It affects math because when he reads a word problem he can not identify what the question is asking and what order the steps should be done in. It affects his writing because he has to order his thoughts, remember those thoughts and then write them down. By the time he starts writing he forgets what he was going to say. Add to that the fact that he probably has dysgraphia and it's a recipe for disaster. His grades are steadily dropping and his self esteem and self confidence are getting low. Combine all of that with a teacher who doesn't "get him" and you have one stressed out little boy who is literally drowning in 3rd grade. He is starting OT again tomorrow to try and help with his handwriting, his auditory defensiveness and some social things. He is on a waiting list for speech/language services. We are paying out of pocket for this because the school system is dragging their feet, complaining about budget concerns and saying whether he qualifies for services through them. I don't think that it is adoption related because I have a bio nephew who has auditory processing problems, too. In my son's case I think it has to do with ADHD, SPD, processing, auditory and memory all being processed in the same area of the brain. If you suspect a problem, please address it now. Six is not too young! Don't wait until she is falling behind. It causes a lot of unnecessary stress on the child.

Your son sounds a lot like my daughter! She too often can't understand what she's being asked to do in school, even though she knows the subject matter. Her grades regularly range from A+ to F. The teacher is frustrated, and the doctor wants it to be ADD (does not believe APD exists as a separate disorder). Like your son, my daughter has other issues too, and we've been doing some interventions. Like you, it's been all out-of-pocket so far. Vision therapy helped a lot in preschool. Have you looked into vision therapy for your son? It sounds like an exam by a developmental optometrist might be helpful to him. Good luck to you and your son!

Interesting thread... My DD is doing relatively well in 2nd but I guess 3rd grade will be a "test" for sure. OP's comment about her daughter making A+ or F really hits home w/ us. DD either gets it or doesn't. Her scores are either 100 or F. She can read relatively well and appear to have good comprehension if just verbally telling you story after but then can't take what she knows and answer the test questions. She is in tutoring. ( has in past been tested for ADD and ADHD which don't fit.) Her eyes have been tested and while she has focal perception problems, her vision is fine. She just has to look @ distances often to prevent her eyes from getting tired.The basic thing I have noticed about my DD is based on learning styles. She appears to be kinesthetic (if that is right word?) If she "touches" like in science she always gets it. So when we read, I've started sort of acting out words she struggles w/ and we sort of act out story a little for better comprehension.DD also has test anxiety due to the F's. So if it is very long she panics and usually F's even when she knows material.

Yes, sounds a lot like mine again. It is hard to keep a child motivated with so many ups and downs in results. Last week she got a "D" in science despite knowing the subject matter forwards and backwards. The teacher went over it with her and upped the grade to a "B," thankfully. I have been reading the book "See It, Say It, Do It," which has made me think a lot about the role of visualization. This is not something my eldest has ever really done much. She has a history of vision problems, so maybe that's why, but she does not use "seeing" or "visualizing" the way people expect. For example, she thinks it's more impressive to "read" without actually looking at the words. (?) And that could also be why she doesn't realize that eye contact is necessary to show people you are listening. As for the visualizing, we have started doing some of the simple exercises in the book. Hopefully it will help lead to turning knowledge into good school performance. Another suggestion I heard was to have her read and explain what she's read. Somehow this is supposed to build connections that relate to auditory processing.