Characteristics and Interventions3. Auditory Processing Dysfunction - ADD kids fall into this category...not to say that all kids in this category have ADD. This is Caleb's glitch, but he does not have ADD.
1. misunderstands conversations often - only 50% of what you say gets through. Information is going in, but there's no 'velcro', so it just bounces around. These kids seem to not be able to process information in a way that they can put velcro on it. Some children later described it as listening to a radio in your car. You go through a tunnel, there's static, you miss part of your program and you get frustrated. Children with this dysfunction are also frustrated. These are the kids who, you ask them a question and they reply, 'Wellllll.....' and you could eat a sandwich waiting for their answer (this is classic Caleb). The back of the brain is receptive, the front of the brain is expressive. It's like there's all sorts of roadblocks as information goes from the back of their brain to the front, so verbal expression is very difficult for these kids. For this reason, these kids are typically quiet, more quiet than they want to or should be. We call them low-expressive, meaning they don't say the things they want to say. One boy described it as feeling trapped. He had good things to say, but he couldn't get his words to come out the way he wanted them to. (I see this in Caleb a lot.)
A hallmark of children with this dysfunction is that they tend to be angry. They are very frustrated about not being able to hear things. It seems that in this world we can get along better not being able to see things than not being able to hear things. They can hear tone and volume (it's not a problem with their ears), but they can't hear it, put it all together, store it and retrieve it easily. They lose whole chunks of the material (which explains why, when I read aloud to the kids, Caleb can tell me very little, if anything, of what I've read). An example would be giving your child 2 or 3 directions and asking them to tell it back to you. You're lucky if they remember one thing. This is very frustrating for your child (and for you). They know they should be able to tell it back, they know there is a problem. This dysfunction is pervasive and subtle...and it creates misery. This dysfunction affects everything they do (not just academics).
2. easily confused - these kids never quite know what's going on all the time. These are the kids who, after an instruction is given, they will look around to see what everyone else is doing because they can't trust their own hearing.
3. can't sound out words when reading - the middle of the word falls out (remember becomes 'reber'). Phonics is lost to them because they can't remember the sounds. When most of us read something, we hear our voice in our head. Children with this dysfunction don't. They may prefer to read out-loud to themselves so they understand it better.
4. difficulty with math facts
5. responds slowly with questions
6. poor memory
Children with Auditory Processing Dysfunction typically have tight, contracted muscles. If they bend over to touch their toes, they may only reach their knees. PE tells us that when their muscles are stretched, learning improves (fascinating!). It's been found that sports that require crossing the mid-line (swimming, gymnastics, wrestling) is of great benefit to these kids. It's been proven that the stretching and lengthening of the hamstring area, in particular, helps their ability to express themselves. They begin to hear their internal voice and speak their thoughts. This has something to do with the corpus callosum in the brain, but I had no idea what Ms. Craft was talking about!
An easy way to check the integrity of your child's auditory processing is to have them write the alphabet in lower case and watch for when they pause. What's happening when they pause and have to start over is that they can't store it and retrieve it efficiently. So they have to stop and start all the way over again. The severity of their dysfunction can be determined by how soon they have to pause.
So, how can we help these kids?? Dianne Craft mentioned a few things and also said she gets into more of it in the next DVD, so you'll have to stay tuned (again).
1. audiological examination - have their hearing checked
2. Brain Integration Therapy (manual available from www.diannecraft.org so you can do it at home with your child). I've already mentioned some of her techniques that I'll try to explain in a coming post. The Ear Eight exercise is recommended for this dysfunction. I'll share more on that soon!
3. Right Brain Phonics Program (also at www.diannecraft.org)
4. Teaching the Right Brain Child DVD (www.diannecraft.org), that teaches visual methods for math facts, spelling, vocabulary, etc. (Help them remember things by associating them with pictures.)
5. anti-histamines or decongestants - this was so interesting. She said that many children with this dysfunction have inflammation in the back of their brain. Dr. Harold Levinson (Smart But Feeling Dumb) recommends giving 1/4 dosage in the morning and evening to help relieve this inflammation. (She encouraged the audience to research that information.)
6. essential fatty acids and lecithin to improve auditory memory
She also talked about antioxidants and said she gets more into foods and nutritional helps in the second DVD.
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