Central Auditory Processing Disorder: Treatment Strategies

Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)- When the brain doesn’t interpret words or sounds correctly, but there is not a problem with an individual's hearing. There is a reduced ability to discriminate, recognize, or comprehend auditory information with CAPD.

Treatment Options/Strategies
 

1)   Speech Therapy (Oral Reading and Comprehension, Working Memory Skills, Main Idea Skills, Idioms/Figures of Speech)

2)   Listening Systems (Fast Forward, Integrative Listening Systems, CogMed,  PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement)

-Aimed at establishing stronger neurological pathway connections,

-Developing cognitive skills in areas of auditory and visual processing, working memory, processing speed, attention, logic and reasoning, and phonemic awareness.  

3)   Visualization skills

-Vocabulary pictures

            -Use internet to visualize vocabulary

            -Drawing out in frames what you read

4)   Repetition in every day situation; Always ask the question “Do you know what that means?”  Give them time to think and answer, give clues to help before giving the entire explanation.

5)   Eating at the table increases vocabulary

6)   Writing things down increases memory skills

7)   Silly strategies that help with working memory (Trenton, NJ, acute and obtuse angles)

8)   Eye contact so that they can read lips as they listen as well (teacher and parent must face the child when talking to them)

9)   Test break down into one instruction per page format

10)  Recall games – “I went on a trip and I took ____ , _______, ______with me”

11)  Reading out loud (by themselves, with the family, etc.)

12)  Idioms (Visuals, Discuss and demonstrate, “put yourself in Dad’s  shoes” etc.)…americanidioms.net and idiomsbykids.com

13)   Show vs. Explain

14)   Manipulatives

15)    Vary pitch and tone of voice

16)    Ask question (specific) while teaching

17)   Have Students Verbalize Concepts

18)   Child should not be required to listen and write at the same time.

Reference: Thanks to K. Naifeh for the wonderful suggestions regarding treatment strategies!


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Challenging Visual Perceptual Skills Using Tangram Puzzles

The visual skills that a person uses to understand, analyze, and interpret all that is seen are called visual perception. Tangram puzzles are a great activity to challenge visual perceptual skills. Tangrams are also great for helping to develop motor planning skills, spatial relations, and eye hand coordination, and to top it off, they require a child to use problem-solving skills! I use them frequently in therapy to help students with understanding properties such as shape, size, and symmetry. Click here to check out a few of my favorites that I use in therapy.

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Information about ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)- One of the most common neurobehavioral disorders of childhood.

There are 3 subtypes

1)    Predominantly Inattentive Type: Difficult to organize or finish a task, doesn’t pay attention to details, follow instructions or conversations. Is easily distracted, frequently forgets the details of daily routines.

2)   Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: Fidgets and talks a lot. Can’t sit still for long. Restless, may be impulsive and interrupt. May not wait turn or listen to directions. May be accident-prone. Small children run, jump, and climb constantly.

3)   Combined Type: Symptoms of 1 & 2 are equally present.

Several Different Treatment Options

1)    Behavioral Interventions: Follow a Schedule; Get organized-put everything in the same place; Limit choices-don’t overwhelm the child on a test or at home; Give immediate feedback and consequences because the child may forget what happened. Remember, they are “in the moment.” Also- always praise effort!

2)   Medication: Parents need to consider pros and cons- side effects (weight loss & headaches)

3)   Parent Education: These kids may not respond to typical parenting approaches, so parents may need to learn about: organizational strategies, problem-solving strategies, coping skills.

4)   Teacher Education: Homework folder/binder, positive reinforcement, awareness of importance of self-esteem issues, different options for accommodations.

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Speaking Wednesday Night: Advocates for Children's Education

I'm excited to be speaking tomorrow night for a new group called Advocate's for Children's Education (ACE). Here is some information about this wonderful group!

Mission Statement: By educating parents, teachers, and clinicians about learning differences, our goal is for each student to be fully equipped to be used as an instrument of God in whatever endeavor he chooses.

Next meeting

Wednesday, May 16^th 6-7:30pm

Christ United Methodist Church

Memphis, TN

Wilson Ross Rm 401/402

Speaker: Anne Zachry, Pediatric Occupational Therapist

Topic: ADHD and subtypes, Auditory Processing, Sensory Processing, Dyslexia…What are they? 

What strategies and therapies help?

 

Fun Spring Fine Motor Activity

I wish that I could say that this was my idea, but it wasn't. I saw this cute picture hanging outside of a kindergarten class at one of my schools, and I had to try it out with my students! Just think of all the skills that are addressed with this one activity...

Tactile- Finger paint the blue sky.
Scissor Skills- Cut the toilet paper role in half. Snip the construction paper to make the grass.
Fine motor- "Scrunching" the tissue paper to make the tree leaves.
Gluing Skills- Glue on the t.p. roll, grass, and tissue paper leaves.
Fine motor- Peel the paper off of the butterfly and sunshine stickers, then place them on the picture. Perfect!

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Matching Colors AND Improving Fine Motor Skills!

The parent workshop was a great success. I was so excited to share ideas and suggestions that parents will be able to carry out with their children to work on a variety of skills. I could tell that the parents were eager to learn as much as possible, and that really excites me, because I'm a true believer in working together as a team for the children.

There is a cute activity that I shared in the workshop that addresses fine motor skills and coordination, while also teaching a child how to match various colors. All that you need for this project are an ice cube tray, a small bag of glass gems (found at dollar stores or Amazon), sticky back foam sheets (found at craft stores or Amazon), tongs, and a pair of scissors.

Cut narrow strips of foam and line the inside of each ice cube "slot" with a different color (see photo). Cut out small circles of corresponding colors and stick them on either side of a gem. If you don't want to use gems, you can use different colors of pom-poms.

Once you have lined all of the "slots" with foam and covered the gems with corresponding colors, it's time to have some fun. Give the child a pair of tongs, and have her pick up each gem and find the matching color in the tray and place the gem in the correct slot. You may need to provide some verbal cues at first, but it won't take long for your little ones to catch on!

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Parents and Therapists Working Together

I'm so excited! I'm having a parent workshop tonight! It's called Parents and Therapists Working Together. The workshop will include a brief overview of school-based occupational and physical therapy services, and the remainder of the session will focus on a variety of strategies and techniques that parents can carry-over in the home setting to help their children with fine motor skills and handwriting. I'm giving this workshop with funds that I got from a grant through The National Education Association. I'm also going to two wonderful continuing education courses with funds from the grant. If you work for the public school system and would like to learn more about NEA grants for educators, click here.

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