Tolerance Fading Memory - Auditory Processing

Here's a write up:

CAPD SubCategories

Kay Pittelkow provides details of the different variants of Central Auditory Processing Disorder, as part of her larger article "CAPD and the gifted child: The relevance of central auditory processing deficit to gifted education".

1. Auditory Decoding Deficit
This is the ¡§classic¡¨ CAPD. These children are typically described as having a hearing problem even when no physical evidence exists. They process information in a way that is slow and inaccurate. This inefficiency in processing means that they are working harder to interpret what they hear.

Characteristics
. Tend to mis-hear words eg: mouth for mouse, eighteen for eighty, park for bark. They have difficulty with differentiating and analysing the differences between speech sounds.
. Weak vocabulary, syntax (plurals, verb tenses) and semantics (multiple meaning words, understanding who, what, why, when and where questions).
. Difficulty in situations in which information is presented without sufficient contextual or visual cues.
. Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments.
. Becomes overloaded in an auditory situation. Listening behaviour deteriorates over time.
. Performs better in subjects where phonic/phonological decoding is not requires ¡V for example maths computations.
. Usually poor readers, spellers and note-takers. They can¡¦t divide their time appropriately between listening and writing.

Diagnostic Identification
. Poor performance on monaural low-redundancy speech tests.
. Poor performance on speech in noise tests.
. Poor auditory closure abilities noted on other tests where the errors are similar to the target word.
. Poor performance on Phonemic synthesis test.

Classroom Strategies
. Change the physical environment to decrease noise level.
. Improve acoustic access by seating the child appropriately, by blocking out other noise with personal FM system or implementing a Soundfield amplified classroom.
. Repeat information only if you can say the information more clearly.
. Provide visual cues.
. Use attention-focusing devices.
. Pre-teach (using an aide or parent) new information, particularly vocabulary.
. Use clear, concise and explicit language. Provide a copy of instructions (for example) in writing as well as audibly (auditory). Use a buddy if necessary.
. Modify oral tests. (For example - always give spelling words in a sentence)
. Use assistive technologies (high quality tape recorders, computers, books on tape and note takers). Give children 2 sets of text so they have one at home.

Direct Intervention
. Speech/language therapies to improve auditory phonic and meta-phonological skills as well as listening and noise tolerance skills.
. Programs that are recommended: * Phonemic synthesis programme * Auditory discrimination in depth (Lindamood) * Fast for Word * Earobics * Hooked on Phonics * Rhyming, syllable and phoneme segmentation.
. Therapies to improve lip reading and non-auditory strategies (Such as using context or listening for meaning)

Compensation Strategies
. Teaching your child how to: * Listen (active versus passive listener) * Recognise adverse listening conditions and how to address them. * Methods of clarifying auditory instructions. * How to use visual cues to augment auditory information. * How to advocate on their own behalf.

2. Associative Deficit Tolerance Fading Memory
These children have difficulties applying the rules of language to sounds they hear. They often have intolerance for background noise and their understanding of speech declines markedly when noise is present. These children tend to perform less well with language demands in the classroom.

Characteristics
. Poor auditory memory.
. Poor receptive vocabulary.
. Poor vocabulary skills.
. Difficulty understanding complex sentences (Their language is very concrete - little syntax)
. May have language difficulties with: Categories and labels, Multiple meaning words, Negative wh-questions. Antonyms, synonyms and honyms.
. Difficulty following directions.
. Poor reading comprehension.
. Difficulty in making the necessary associations in order to understand verbal jokes, riddles, jargon.
. Usually asking for clarification.

Diagnostic Identification
. Diagnosis is usually not until 3rd or 4th grade when language requirements become more difficult.
. Good performance on temporal pattering.
. Good sound decoding and discrimination but word recognition may be poor.
. Bilateral deficits on dichotic listening talks.
. Poor performance on speech in noise discrimination tasks.

Classroom Strategies
. Change the physical environment (as above).
. Improve acoustic access to auditory (as above).
. Have the child in an educational environment that uses a structured, systematic, multi-sensory, rule-based approach to language and learning.
. Avoid or minimise classroom techniques that require self-monitoring of learning behaviour.
. Impose external organisation and structure.
. Pre-teach new vocabulary
. Use clear concise and explicit language
. Rephrase a message using simpler language instead of repeating it
. Obtain attention
. Use multiple choice tests
. Use assistive technologies
. Provide quiet study areas
. Use a tape recorder to record instructions and lectures
. Check comprehension by having child paraphrase or demonstrate what is expected

Direct Intervention
. Language therapy is a key component.
. Traditional receptive and expressive language techniques.
. Training in use and meaning of words that imply relationships such as tag words ( first, last next), casual words (because, since), adversative words (but however although).
. Strategies that aid in retention of complex messages such as chunking , verbal rehearsal, and paraphrasing.
. Metacognitive strategies.
. Methods to improve noise tolerance skills.
. Auditory memory enhancers.

Compensation Strategies
. These children should be encourages to "talk themselves through" homework (example: draw diagrams, highlight, makes notes in the margin in effort to provide a framework to understand the message).
. Use of organisation aids such as: * Calendars * Tape recorders * Checklists * Assignment notebooks * Dictionaries * Computers
. Develop problem solving skills

cont....... next post below

I've got my homework for today. Thanks muchly!

You know one thing they've always done with Bean Sprout is put him with unanimated teachers for some reason. The few teachers he thought were fun he did so much better. But it's like they think ADHD and LD kids need ramrod straight boring teachers or something.

Now that he's off the IEP I hope he won't get so many duds. The IEP was a waste after all that work getting it back in elementary school. I really don't think they helped him a bit in special ed.

Moving up for Brookesmom.