Community Discussions

My son has APD and over the last years we've done a lot and I've read a lot and if there is one thing I've learned, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for APD. It seems like the best approach is to first determine why she has the APD. Did she have a lot of ear infections, a head injury or high fevers. If so, it maybe acquired APD. Are there other people in the family that have it? Then it might be hereditary. The short answer is, you don't know if a therapy is going to help unless you try since there are many reasons a child could have APD.

If acquired, knowing the cause helps choose the therapy. Ear infections cause understimulation of the auditory system, as well as gunking up the middle ear which can cause intermittent hearing problems. These issues seem to respond well to programs that stimulate the auditory system, like listening therapies or Fast ForWord auditory training program.

If there is a brain injury or high fevers, then you want to look for programs that focus on neurologic stimulation, like neurofeedback or cognitive movement therapies. Rhythmic Movement Training falls into this category. It stimulates the neurology while helping integrate primary reflexes. We did it with my son and it helped tremendously with his attention and hyperactivity, but I did not see a lot of improvement in his auditory processing. The listening therapies and neurofeedback had the biggest improvement in his auditory function. My son has acquired APD due to excessive ear infections and mild traumatic brain injury.

Hope this helps!

Yeah, she has never had an ear infection and no high fevers or injuries. She has had a very normal and uneventful childhood. Her LD specialist suggested possible Auditory Dyslexia. Guess I'll keep looking around and trying different things. I've heard good things about Audiblox. Is that what you used for your son?

No, we did AIT, Enlisten and Therapeutic Listening. I haven't heard of Audiblox so not sure how it might work.

You might want to get a copy of The Mislabeled Child. This book really saved me. It goes through all the diagnosis possible and even compares symptoms between them so you can see if it looks like one, it might actually be another. It would be worth the time to read it. I've added a link to it below.