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.

Misdiagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – WrongDiagnosis.com.

So much of my reading lately and connections to new users have to do with the misdiagnosis of ADHD. There seems to be no other “disability” that generates more difficulty in accurate diagnosis and more ways to address the symptoms than ADHD. For a rather good look at the topic, a doctor friend sent me the link attached here. The language may be a little loose but the point is that there are many paths to a misdiagnosis and it is something for all of us, therapists, teachers and parents to be aware of that I thought it would be a good share.

via The Role of Brain Fitness in Self Help Programs:

All of those programs involve regular practice of certain behaviors, and there are three behaviors we humans can hope to manage or control, our thinking, our feelings, and our behaviors, or how our body moves.

If you have read Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi’s book FLOW, which is treatise on the psychology of optimal performance, then you know that we process sound, visual, touch, smell, and taste information at the rate of seven bits of data every 1/18th second, so self help programs need to be learned and implemented in a very short period of time. (1/18th second is twice as fast as I can blink my eyes).

Self help then must be a process of awareness and management of sensory processing done very quickly and very frequently.

I liken the process for my anger management clients to steering a car, you make thousands of small adjustments to the position of the vehicle on the road, and are paying attention to hundreds of variables at a given moment, traffic in front, behind, traffic lights, children, the policeman six blocks ahead, ect. As you do this, you keep the vehicle going in the direction you want, at the speed you want, in a safe way for yourself and other drivers. You avoid potholes.

Use It or Lose It: The Theory and Practice of Brain Exercise and Fitness for Cognitive Health – 1252th Edition | Health Blog.

When we exercise our brains, we put our Neurons and connections between neurons in action.

Given the diversity of functions outlined above, it is clear that different activities are going to activate different brain areas, which scientists now know thanks to neuroimaging techniques. There is no one magic bullet that is best (either crosswords puzzles, or computer-based programs, or physical exercise): we do need a variety of mental stimulation or “brain exercises”.

There have been a lot of articles on Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) are out this week and I posted links via previous posts to a couple of good definitional articles. The article below is noteworthy because it goes into an even more useful discussion of how SPD relates to and is yet distinct from Autism (pointing out clearly that “although a sensory processing disorder is not considered a qualifying characteristic for a diagnosis of autism, I have yet to meet a person on the autism spectrum who does not have a challenge in this area.”)

What is Sensory Processing Disorder and How Is It Related to Autism? | Psychology Today.

The author also reminds us of the effort to have SPD included in the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is currently being drafted, and which we described as a really important step in our posting from March 4:

DSM-5 Being Updated.

The person leading that effort is Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, OTR and Founder of the SPD Foundation, who has recommended our program:

“The Learning Breakthrough Program is helpful to enhance clinical therapy for a wide range of sensory processing issues. The unique program lends itself to use with a variety of therapeutic approaches. Its ease of use allows your patients to follow through with therapeutic activities at home. I have integrated this program into my practice and encourage fellow OT’s to take advantage of the benefits this program has to offer.”

SPD is a difficult topic/diagnosis for people to get their heads around; parents, teachers, scientists, therapists…lots of people. But the awareness is growing that SPD it is a unique neurological disorder that impacts many people in important cognitive areas. Addressing SPD is an important part of any treatment program for those on the spectrum.

We strongly advocate a unique DSM classification for Sensory Processing Disorder. We have seen how the Learning Breakthrough Program has produced substantial results when used to treat sensory disorders and a is wonderful complement to other therapies. This goes well beyond addressing just SPD symptoms…the point is that improved sensory processing affects higher order cognitive processes and abstract reasoning well beyond the simple notion of a “traffic jam” in the senses – the simplified definition often associated with SPD.

The article Brain scans shed light on dyslexia, written By Health Day Reporter Amanda Gardner, sheds light on dyslexia causes with modern brain scanning technologies. The findings, published in the online issue of Current Biology, seem to be in line with previous research. The experiment laid the foundation for the neuro-anatomy of dyslexia versus the non-impaired reader.

Guinevere Eden, director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University said, “A typical person has an augmented response in this part of the brain, and in dyslexics, they’re not seeing that augmentation, suggesting that there does not seem to be a system in place to show that there’s an association [between visual and sound] that’s going on.” Further work on vestibular remediation correlates remarkably well with the sensory model being described. The more sensory coordination that occurs in any reader, the more resolved the system of abstract language construction becomes. This is the heart of LBP’s design logic and why we found the article to be so relevant.

Interview: Dr. Frank Belgau on How is Neuro Feedback Involved in Learning Breakthrough.

Dr. Belgau describes how neurofeedback is powerfully integrated with Learning Breakthrough’s pendulum ball activities as the brain regulates itself in response to the successful and unsuccessful cycles of working with the pendulum ball. The body reacts through its multisensory balance system to adjust to expected performance conditions. When paired with a precision balance challenge device like the Belgau Balance Board, the activities form a neuroplasticity development tool with unique value to the sensory processing treatment world.

Two happy mothers just wrote to us and (actively) asked that we share their stories with you.  
One mom said, “I would love my son’s experience to benefit someone!”  Maybe that someone is you…

Another mom of a college student says, “Thank you for opening Michael’s world.”

If you are a Learning Breakthrough user, please be sure to send us your “success stories” also so that you can perhaps inspire others.

Dear Learning Breakthrough Staff,

For the past 5 months my son, Michael, has been actively participating in the Learning Breakthrough Program through The Hallowell Center. He performs the exercises 2-3 times a day with the DVD.  The beauty of the DVD is that it is visual and easy to follow.

Thus far the results have been remarkable. He has gone from a young adult who lived in total chaos, to one who voluntarily and easily has a clean and picked up room, a structured daily routine and a new glint in his eye!

A bright boy, barely making his way through college Michael is now talking about pursuing a career in medicine or other graduate studies. A year ago we were all at our wit’s end and very concerned for his future. Now we are optimistic that Michael will lead the happy, productive life we all envisioned for him.

Thank you for opening Michael’s world.

Best, Jen T., 
New York

—— // ——

Dear Learning Breakthrough,

My son’s story is different to the stories I have read and I would love my son’s experience to benefit someone! I don’t believe there is enough advertising out there on this sort of thing. I am just sorry it took us so long before trying your product to help my son.  It is funny that parents only seem to talk openly when their child is bright and achieving at school. I remember being very private about our fears and confusion of our son’s difficulties, hence feeling very isolated although being on the parents PTA committee.

My son always had good balance, played all sports and had received a tennis scholarship at the age of 5. He knew his alphabet at 20 months and then went onto read and write extremely well at school (aged 4.5). However, he never spoke much, but his pronunciation was very good so his teachers never worried. He then seemed to get less and less happy at school by the time he was 7. It was oblivious to me that something was wrong.

He couldn’t seem to absorb information that was in text or spoken. He refused to do an end of year test at school by turning the paper over without even attempting it. By this time the school had written him off as not being very intelligent. We knew different, as we believed he had a good brain. It just didn’t add up. We were in despair as our son could not seem to absorb or retain information so I started to research and thank goodness I found Learning Breakthrough on the internet.

I immediately purchased a kit and my son loved your daily exercises as he found them great fun. It seemed so strange, we couldn’t quite believe it. He started to be able to digest and retain information. His tests improved so much!  He seemed a lot happier in himself, more upbeat. That was a real turning point for him. We then had him re-assessed by the Speech & Language therapist, who in the past confirmed that there were enormous holes in his vocabulary and upon being re-tested we found these holes have now been addressed and there are no more gaps.

The theory of using your product feels very simple to me. It exercises the brain in every way. This opens up and gets the brain chemicals moving as all  movements have been designed for that.

Regards, E. W., England