Auditory processing

[Shelly Bower]

Jay,

Thanks for your suggestions.  You'll be seeing me on the CAPD
listserve in the near future.!   Actually I was smiling from ear to
ear when I read your message because about three months ago we started
a behavioral based program to try to increase my sons language.  Its a
program called Lovaas Training or Discrete Trrial Training and was
orginally developed for autistic children (who of course have some of
the most difficult problems with communications).   My husband and I
decided that if we couldn't change the way our son heard things we
were going to have to change the way he learned.   Anyway he's under
the care of a child pschologist who designed the program for us and he
gets about 20 hours a week in one on one tutoring.   He has made
WONDERFUL progress.  A year ago he had one word.  He now functions on
the level of a 2.5 year old and can speak in sentences of up to 5-6
words.   However, I know the auditory problem is preventing him from
getting much further. 

I'm in New Hampshire (yes, we lost our electricity for 5 days this
week!)  so if anyone knows of a person near here that does CAP
evaluations I'd love to hear of it.





dr.j at RDZ.STJOHNS.EDU (Jay Lucker) wrote:

>Dear Shelly,
>
>Regarding your questions about CAPD evaluation, yes, from what you
>describe it would  be worthwhile to get a CAP evaluation for your son.
>However, please note that most audiologists will state that you can not
>get a CAP eval. for a child so young.
>
>For me, this is not true.  An audiologist who really understands auditory
>processing and perception would be able to provide an audiological
>evaluation including evaluation of processing abilites appropriate at the
>age level of 3-1/2 for your son.
>
>Now as for ABR.  yes, the Midlatency and late potentials (P-300, 400msec.
>latency responses) have been applied to the evaluation of auditory
>processing/perceptual abilites.  However, these evaluations may not be
>able to be accomplished on a child of 3-1/2 years because of:
>1. the normal brainwave (evoked) responses which are obtainable via
>midlatency and late latency responses are not "normed" for that young age
>group, or these responses can not be accurately, and reliably evoked for a
>chid of such young age.
>
>2. Remember that all that one obtains from evoked brainstem response
>testing is information about whether the auditory tracks are functioning
>normally.  There is no information one obtains about how this affects
>behavior (If it affects behavior), and in what way any abnormal evoked
>responses determine how to "treat" the child to improve behavior.
>
>It appears to me that you want to know about your son's behavior
>(listening and language), and why there may be a delay or breakdown in his
>commnicative abilities.  you need a good behavioral evaluation of his
>listening and auditory abilties.
>
>I do not know if anyone in your area (not sure exactly where you are) is
>doing CAP evaluation for preschoolers looking at behaviors and information
>processing.
>
>Wish I could be of more help.  If you'd like more help, please feel free
>to private email me at my email address below.  Otherwise, you may find
>more support and help on the CAPD listserv which is specific to this area.
>
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>dr.j!
>(list owner of CAPD)
><dr.j at rdz.stjohns.edu>