Learning Breakthrough

Auditory processing disorder in relation to developmental disorders of language, communication and attention: a review and critique - International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders.

This article describes the vagaries of diagnosis of auditory processing issues and shows how important work is being done to help make proper evaluations and treatment research widely available. It is not definitive but is a useful article for those orienting themselves to CAPD issues.

Background: Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) does not feature in mainstream diagnostic classifications such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV), but is frequently diagnosed in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and is becoming more frequently diagnosed in the United Kingdom.

Aims: To familiarize readers with current controversies surrounding APD, with an emphasis on how APD might be conceptualized in relation to language and reading problems, attentional problems and autistic spectrum disorders.
Methods & Procedures: Different conceptual and diagnostic approaches adopted by audiologists and psychologists can lead to a confusing picture whereby the child who is regarded as having a specific learning disability by one group of experts may be given an APD diagnosis by another. While this could be indicative of co-morbidity, there are concerns that different professional groups are using different labels for the same symptoms.
Conclusions & Implications: APD, as currently diagnosed, is not a coherent category, but that rather than abandoning the construct, we need to develop improved methods for assessment and diagnosis, with a focus on interdisciplinary evaluation.

Want to read a serious post that tries to give a good working definition of sensory processing disorder...take a look at this one. There is some opinion thrown in, but the information is very well described and useful for those looking for a good topical way to think about the term "SPD."

Hartley's Life With 3 Boys: What is Sensory Processing Disorder?.

Found this article with commentary and tips. many you may have heard before but regardless, reminders that keep us focused on the most important themes are always useful and I enjoyed the article as well. As an example, I found the homework advice a good refresher...

This is also first test of Zej's new tool recommendation of "Press This" for fast publishing of links and just raw text from any source. Excellent tool for efficient publishing.

ADHD Special Education Teacher's Best Advice | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Help & Info.

Many of us in the LD community have children and the need to plan summer activities just like many of the families we work with. Learning Breakthrough always gets a push at the beginning of the summer by families that know they can use the flexible time that summer brings to get kids onto the equipment and working in a fun way in advance of the next school year. We also hear from parents about their LBP advances and get recommendations on the creative ways they fill their family time.

In that vein, the following article outlining "Summer Activities for ADHD Kids" is a sampling of some great ideas and general approaches for the ADHD parent that reminds us how a little bit of structure, combined with the good fun of summer, and input from our children, can make for fun days that build family connections and memories. Working with ADHD always takes more planning for those of us who work with it but it also affords us more time than usual (outside the stressful school year) to build skills, reconnect with our families and do some "brain boosting" over long summer days instead of walking straight into the feelings of "boredom" that ADHD kids readily default to.

Just read two articles of some interest. This first article (from the site www.scienceblog.com) describes new research observations on children with Attention Deficit indicating

a disconnection between the center of the brain that allocates attention and the visual processing regions...

One of the core strengths and objectives of Learning Breakthrough is exactly the type of efficient brain integration (from "center of the brain" to visual processing and other sensory areas as well) that is being demonstrated as relevant and missing in certain ADHD clients. Great food for thought and insight into neural activity weaknesses that point to possible treatment approaches.

The second article comes from professors of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt's Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. It describes a grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders for the study of Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT). The point is to investigate why, as the article states:

Children with autism have difficulty taking in and integrating sensory information from the outside world, particularly auditory information. The suppression or misinterpretation of auditory information can prevent the development of language.

Both of these are interesting and we look forward to hearing more about their progress.