Feeling a little deflated - Auditory Processing Disorder

**Darrietta** · 06-03-2012 12:39

I haven't posted here for a while, but desperately seeking someone to talk to about this. DS1 (5yrs) appears to have Auditory Processing issues, and has just started school. Nothing has really panned out like I was expecting. I was expecting that all the information I gave to the school (hearing test results, speech therapy results, etc) would help give the school some idea about what sort of issues we're facing. Turns out they haven't even read it. I approached the teacher early on to try and explain a bit about his difficulty understanding and suspected APD, but was told it was too early for her to notice any issues. Jump forward two weeks and I approached her again to ask how DS1 was coping and his teacher told us we should sit down for a talk about it.

I think I was a bit naive in my hopes for the whole starting school thing. Naive, in that I was desperately hoping the teacher would work out what he needed and continue on without problems. He has been put into a class with a relatively new teacher (4 years experience), and as I am studying to become a teacher myself, I'm hesitant to say that he needs a teacher with more experience because how can a teacher possible get experience if their special needs kids are removed from their classrooms? but I realised, during our 'talk' that his teacher is very good at noticing what he can't do, but doesn't really seem to have any plan for how to help him. I am feeling really disheartened, but probably it's too early to judge. We are beginning the process of elimination now, hearing tests, eye tests, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, etc. From what I've heard the tests used to diagnose this particular disorder are for 7 year olds. This means we are due to get through 2 years of school before he can be assessed and diagnosed to receive adequate assisstance if needed. I've been reading and researching as much as I can, because this seems to be such a complex issue, so far beyond what I've ever dealt with, I just feel overwhelmed with what I need to do to help. I don't even know where to start.

I feel like the talk with DS's teacher was a huge, battering reality-check. I really was hoping that everything would just work out

. Hubby thinks we were right to send him to school this year rather than another year in pre-school, but I'm plagued with self-doubt. On one hand I think this issue is not developmental, and won't go away in a year, but on the other hand I wonder if he is too young to have to deal with the pressures of schooling when he has trouble just understanding what people are saying to him. Lord knows I am amazed with what he has learnt just in the short time he's been at school, but clearly he's not learning at the rate that other children are. How could he, when he can't decipher the verbal instructions!? he CAN learn, he's a smart cookie, but he's learnt to 'switch off' when he doesn't understand. I can't even begin to imagine how much he misses out when he's like that.

Does anyone know anything about APD? When and where can these kids get assessed/ diagnosed? Is it through an audiologist? I am struggling to find information

**Zombie_eyes** · 13-03-2012 22:13

Bump.

Im sorry i dont have any experience with apd, only spd.

i hope u get some answers.

My boys have asd, spd and language disorders which makes comprehension quite difficult, the older pne suffers more with comp than the younger at present. In school his first year, he failed completely because they refused to recognise the problem, they didnt even read the 12 page speech report. So stressful and frustrating.

We are getting help now throughh the school purely because of the autism dx. If it wasnt for that he wouldnt have made it to yr 2 this yr. It is so incredibly unfair. Could u pull him out of school and try again next yr?

**Happy2be3** · 13-03-2012 22:27

My son has a speech disorder, motor planning problems and sensory issues.. His visual processing tested at above normal but the OT and his ST and we his parents have noticed he doesn't seem to understand sometimes when someone is talking to him. He is in his final year b4 prep though so can't help with the schooling stuff. I would have assumed you would need to see developmental paediatrician for a diagnosis? They send the kids off for whatever tests necessary and then make official dx.
Sorry I can't help u further... PM me and we can chat more in depth :-)
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