[tri-med] Re: ABR Hearing test

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Janet King"
>>Yes, she can hear, but No, she can't
> understand what she is hearing.

Don't give up - it makes life more challenging but its not an impossible
task.

What you are describing is CAPD or Central Auditory Processing Disorder -
and Alex was the same. Actually a number of kids on the list have been
diagnosed with CAPD. However with a lot of work, time and patience Alex has
learnt to "hear" and functions OK most of the time, but still has great
difficulty when there is background noise.

Sign language is a great way to start - in fact its a must. I did with Alex
but used it as a way for him to learn what the sounds he heard meant as well
as a means of communication.

I have made detailed posts over the years about how I went about teaching
Alex to "hear" - but in short I started with the premise that he needed
concrete examples, and to use all modalities of learning to understand what
he heard. Sort of like cochlear implant training (but back in the days when
that was real new)

I signed, used concrete examples and spoke - always spoke with whatever I
signed or showed him. In that regard we opted to use Signed English as
opposed to Auslan as a sign language. (Signed English is word for word
signing whereas Auslan has its own syntax).

For concrete learning I used real objects and them moved to pictures. Not
drawings but real pictures (a computer, digital camera, and a laminator are
musts). Once he learnt the concrete we were able to add more abstract
drawings and now we can use words but even now pictures are worth a dozen
words) His eyes helped him to hear.

Every concept was made concrete and visual - right down to a calendar from
the time he was about 12 months old. Not a regular calendar but an
inertactive pictorial calendar (I can send a pic). We still use that
calender!!

I guess Alex was about three when he started to understand some basic words.
But at 5 he was still not talking. At 5 I decided for the first time to send
him to a special education environment (I am a big mainstreamer) to immerse
him in sign language for his language development. But it was carefully
chosen so that the people there worked with him as I had been - using sign
language as a way to get him to "hear" and understand.

After about 6 months Alex started talking and he hasnt stopped :-))) Never
thought I would get to the day where I would tell him to be quiet - but I do
all the time. In fact our catch cry these days is "Alex you are talking too
much" His brain "hearing" isnt perfect - but its sure a lot better than it
was and a lot better than anyone ever said it would be.

Actually recently he inderwent testing for CAPD as part of a study. The
study was related to kids with ACC (Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum) and
CAPD (they tend to go hand in hand). Alex was the only child in the study
who has undergone this specific regime. He was also the only child who
exhibited the specific brain patterns of CAPD but who had also developed
alternate pathways. Meaning we didnt cure the CAPD - but we had worked
around it. (Brain connections are laid down in early childhood - if they
dont use the "hearing" parts of their brain they lose them because the
connections and pathways aren't laid down - we just encouraged Alex to use
them and develop them as best as he could)

There are now a couple of programs around for CAPD (earobics and Fast
Forward) Unfortuantely I dont have the money for them but if I could I
would.

Also rather than hearing aids ask about an auditory trainer. Well worth the
investment!!

Love many, hate few, learn to paddle your own canoe.
  -- American Proverb

Keep Looking For Rainbows!!
   _--_|\
 /Karen \
 \ _.--._ /
          v Karen, Mum to Alex (9 years, T-18 Mosaic)
http://members.optushome.com.au/karens

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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