A processing disorder issue or a discipline issue?

[Greta]

For background: about a year and a half ago, I had an educational evaluation done for my dd through the local ps special ed department. They said she has a "processing disorder". Her IQ is high, her comprehension is high, but her fluency or processing speed is low. They said the pattern shown on her tests is just what they would see with an ADD or ADHD child, though that's a medical diagnosis so they didn't officially say she has that. They said she does have trouble concentrating and focusing, and that it's a very good thing that I homeschool her because she would really struggle in a classroom environment.

 

Okay, now that you know a bit about that, here's my question. :)

 

She is constantly being distracted by noises. We have dogs, and if they start barking at something while she's working on school, she gets really angry. I do my best to keep them quiet of course, because that *is* annoying. But even little things that I don't even notice! The sounds of the birds chirping outside the window, for example, will be reason for her to stop what she's doing and complain. I can't control the birds! The sound of a noisy motorcycle on the street near our home - nothing in the world I can do about that, and I'm barely even conscious of it. And there are always going to be noises around, in whatever learning environment she's in. This is not something I can change. But are there ways I can help her tune the sounds out?

 

I'm honestly not sure to what extent this is a real problem for her, and to what extent it's "find an excuse to get out of schoolwork". We have had some issues with the latter before, though lately that has been far, far better. But this continues, so I'm starting to think it's a real problem. I just don't know how to address it. Any thoughts?

[scrapbookbuzz]

Have you looked into getting her "noise-cancelling headphones"? Those might really help as she may be white noise sensitive.

 

HTH (hope that helps)!

[Guest]

Especially acute hearing and an inability to filter out extraneous noise (noise not connected to what you are doing) can also be connected with sensory processing disorders and the hyperalterness of Asperger's Syndrome, among other things. They are not necessarily indicators of ADHD/ADD.

 

My daughter is especially sensitive to tiny noises. She once jumped up from her chair, saying anxiously, "What's that noise?" It turned out it was a plastic bag blowing across the back yard -- and the windows and doors were all shut. She could hear it through the very walls and couldn't rest until she knew what it was.

 

Because of her sensitivity (which is NOT an attention disorder), my daughter prefers working with some kind of background noise: music, or a book on CD. This does not distract her from the task at hand but actually helps, because it damps down her anxiety over noises she can't figure out. If your child is distracted further by music, a white noise generator/CD or the headphones another poster mentioned are good ideas to pursue. When I am writing articles or serious things I always work in geeky headphones.

[Mom2J112903]

Have you ever have her evaluated thru an OT whom specializes in Sensory Processing Disorders? They can help adress these issues and help your daughter learn to "train" herself so these noises do not bother her.

 

My son, as a toddler, would literally meltdown in a matter of a nano-second if he heard something "out of the blue" wheather this be the bird suddenly chirrping outside or someone on a 4-wheeler. OT helped *tremendously* with this. :)

[Greta]

Especially acute hearing and an inability to filter out extraneous noise (noise not connected to what you are doing) can also be connected with sensory processing disorders and the hyperalterness of Asperger's Syndrome, among other things. They are not necessarily indicators of ADHD/ADD.

 

I see. Thanks for explaining. I did not know if it was related at all, but thought I should mention her "history" just in case.

 

My daughter is especially sensitive to tiny noises. She once jumped up from her chair, saying anxiously, "What's that noise?" It turned out it was a plastic bag blowing across the back yard -- and the windows and doors were all shut. She could hear it through the very walls and couldn't rest until she knew what it was.

 

Wow! I don't think my dd is *that* sensitive, but just a bit ago, I accidentally ran my computer mouse across the surface of the table at a bit of a different angle and pressure than I normally do, and that sound made her jump up from her reading demanding "what was that?!?" It really was NOT loud or weird or anything. I don't think the average person would have noticed it at all.

 

Because of her sensitivity (which is NOT an attention disorder), my daughter prefers working with some kind of background noise: music, or a book on CD. This does not distract her from the task at hand but actually helps, because it damps down her anxiety over noises she can't figure out. If your child is distracted further by music, a white noise generator/CD or the headphones another poster mentioned are good ideas to pursue. When I am writing articles or serious things I always work in geeky headphones.

 

Have you looked into getting her "noise-cancelling headphones"? Those might really help as she may be white noise sensitive.

 

HTH (hope that helps)!

 

Thank you both! I will experiment with background music and see if that helps. I'll also check into the headphones you mentioned. I appreciate the help!

[Greta]

Have you ever have her evaluated thru an OT whom specializes in Sensory Processing Disorders? They can help adress these issues and help your daughter learn to "train" herself so these noises do not bother her.

 

My son, as a toddler, would literally meltdown in a matter of a nano-second if he heard something "out of the blue" wheather this be the bird suddenly chirrping outside or someone on a 4-wheeler. OT helped *tremendously* with this. :)

 

This sounds ideal, and is exactly what I would do in a perfect world. *I* don't know how to help her, and I would love to turn to someone who would! Unfortunately, however, this is not feasible for us. Financially, I mean. :( I'm so glad that it helped your son! But I just don't think I would be able to convince my dh to invest that kind of money in something that he sees as a discipline issue.

[Mom2J112903]

Have you ever read the book the Out-of-Sync Child? GREAT resource, I have had mine since J was 18 months, he is almost 6.6yrs now. Yes, it is a very well-loved book by many. Maybe if your DH can read this he will be more "on board" with things?

 

Also see if your insurance would cover any OT. We have never payed OOP for J's OT thankfully.

[Greta]

Have you ever read the book the Out-of-Sync Child? GREAT resource, I have had mine since J was 18 months, he is almost 6.6yrs now. Yes, it is a very well-loved book by many. Maybe if your DH can read this he will be more "on board" with things?

 

Thank you! I have not heard of this before, but I will get it, and encourage dh to read it too.

 

 

 

Also see if your insurance would cover any OT. We have never payed OOP for J's OT thankfully.

 

Our medical coverage is so poor that I never even *thought* about them covering things like this. But it's worth looking into to make sure! Thank you again!

[LittleHouseHomeschool]

I would recommend a trip to an audiologist. They can measure her hearing and check for processing disorders. My son hears 20% better than the average person, but he processes at a slower speed and has difficulty with short term memory.

 

The audiologist explained to me that a computer hum, or the noise from fluorescent lighting is enough to distract a child with processing issues.

 

You might have just found your daughter's root issue! But you'll definitely want to have it confirmed by an audiologist. (Also known as speech and hearing pathologist.) You can find them at hospitals, or you can ask your pediatrician for a referral.

[LizzyBee]

Did they tell you which type of processing disorder? My dd13 has auditory processing disorder diagnosed by an audiologist with special training to evaluate for APD. Her hearing acuity is above the normal range, making her sensitive to noises that other people can tune out. When she was younger, she would just scream and scream at loud noises that were not a problem for other people. When we came back from Disney when she was 12, I noticed she was covering her ears in some of the pictures. We could not have gone to Disney when she was younger because she would not have been able to cope with the noise and activity level.

 

She is doing the Therapeutic Listening Program (via an OT) to help her cope better. If I knew earlier what I know now, I would have had her in OT when she was much younger.

Edited May 18, 2010 by LizzyBee

[LittleHouseHomeschool]

This sounds ideal, and is exactly what I would do in a perfect world. *I* don't know how to help her, and I would love to turn to someone who would! Unfortunately, however, this is not feasible for us. Financially, I mean. :( I'm so glad that it helped your son! But I just don't think I would be able to convince my dh to invest that kind of money in something that he sees as a discipline issue.

 

 

Okay...then I would start by educating both yourself and your husband. This may not be a discipline issue. It may be a neurological condition. If you treat the condition, the behavior improves. Can you imagine trying to hear a teacher through that fuzzy sound you hear on a salt and pepper t.v. screen? That is what it is like for many kids with APD. They simply cannot hear, process, store and retrieve information. How frustrating!!

 

It sounds as though your child has been under-tested and under-diagnosed. (Which I hear is typical of a free, public school special ed evaluation.)

 

I would recommend the following resources to further pinpoint your child's possible auditory processing," issues.

 

"When the Brain Can't Hear," by Teri James Bellis

Like Sound Through Water by Karen Foli

 

But again, an auditory evaluation is absolutely necessary so that you can target and remediate appropriately.

[kmacnchs]

I probably had/have that same issue. I remember specifically in school being so frustrated and angry when the teacher would give us a prompt to write about and then would continue to tell us other things and answer individual Qs aloud so the whole class could hear. ARGGGG!

 

Literally, as a SENIOR in hs, I would have to plug my ears so I could concentrate and write well. You know your dd best but I empathize w/her. I liked PP's suggestion of noise-canceling headphones. My brother has those b/c he is a light sleeper and he has a newborn.

[Greta]

Did they tell you which type of processing disorder?

 

No, and I didn't even know enough to ask that question! :blushing: I think I heard "ADD" and thought that was all I needed to know.

 

My dd13 has auditory processing disorder diagnosed by an audiologist with special training to evaluate for APD. Her hearing acuity is above the normal range, making her sensitive to noises that other people can tune out. When she was younger, she would just scream and scream at loud noises that were not a problem for other people. When we came back from Disney when she was 12, I noticed she was covering her ears in some of the pictures. We could not have gone to Disney when she was younger because she would not have been able to cope with the noise and activity level.

 

She is doing the Therapeutic Listening Program (via an OT) to help her cope better. If I knew earlier what I know now, I would have had her in OT when she was much younger.

 

Thank you for sharing this. I really want to get my daughter the help she needs, and I really didn't know where to begin.

[Greta]

I would recommend a trip to an audiologist. They can measure her hearing and check for processing disorders. My son hears 20% better than the average person, but he processes at a slower speed and has difficulty with short term memory.

 

The audiologist explained to me that a computer hum, or the noise from fluorescent lighting is enough to distract a child with processing issues.

 

You might have just found your daughter's root issue! But you'll definitely want to have it confirmed by an audiologist. (Also known as speech and hearing pathologist.) You can find them at hospitals, or you can ask your pediatrician for a referral.

 

Okay...then I would start by educating both yourself and your husband. This may not be a discipline issue. It may be a neurological condition. If you treat the condition, the behavior improves. Can you imagine trying to hear a teacher through that fuzzy sound you hear on a salt and pepper t.v. screen? That is what it is like for many kids with APD. They simply cannot hear, process, store and retrieve information. How frustrating!!

 

It sounds as though your child has been under-tested and under-diagnosed. (Which I hear is typical of a free, public school special ed evaluation.)

 

I would recommend the following resources to further pinpoint your child's possible auditory processing," issues.

 

"When the Brain Can't Hear," by Teri James Bellis

Like Sound Through Water by Karen Foli

 

But again, an auditory evaluation is absolutely necessary so that you can target and remediate appropriately.

 

Yvonne, thank you so much for all of this! I am so ignorant of this entire subject area, that I really appreciate you, and everyone here, holding my hand and explaining these things to me! I will get these books and find out about audiologists locally. If this could be the root of her issues, then somehow, by the grace of God, we will find the money to get her the help she deserves.

[TravelingChris]

Oh and a child can have both ADHD and auditory issues. My oldest dd is severely ADHD (helped greatly by medications) but also has very acute hearing. Among the things she does is usually have music while she works, though she is able to do it without music now too (she is 16.7). At night, she uses a fan to mask noises. SHe has a very hard time with children's performances or other not good amateur productions since she hears all the out of tune notes in the midst of a concert. I just see this as a different way of sensing the world. She is much more auditory than most people.

[Splash]

My ds is like this. His diagnosis is Sensory Processing Dysfunction and ADHD. We are still working on coping techniques but psychologist said it is just a component of the disorders.