CAPD in adults?

[EndOfOrdinary]

First off, I am no expert in the LD area. I have worked in public school SpEd, but do not in any way mean for this question to sound like I know much about diagnosis. I could be totally wrong, and if I am, I would love to hear it. A large part of me is hoping I am wrong.

Anyway, somehow, I stumbled onto a thread about CAPD and BAM! There was Dh. It was all the more confirmed when I watched the Barton's student test. He would not be able to pass Section C at all. He would also not be able to remember the correct order of words in sentences in Section A. He would get the gist of the sentences, it would be similar, but not exactly what was spoken. He has atrocious recall.

My son uses Sequential Spelling. Both Dh and I are not fantastic spellers. I raved about SS. He tried it and could not hear the sounds. He even said he would like to use it with his high school students (ironically he is an English teacher) but that I would have to find a way to record the words because he knew wouldn't be able to say them with "correctly." Isolating the vowels is very hard for him. E versus I, and a versus aw, and slurring sounds together in words are very difficult.

When Dh was young he had an identified LD that he is always quick to throw in, "was not dyslexia." He was a letter flipper, and had real trouble with writing. He did not read until well after 11. He also had to have a complete boxed cubicle to work in so that no other distractions or sound could bother him. He still has these issues (letter flipping when very tired, and extreme need to be alone to work). He cannot remember listed items (even only three) and really has difficulty tracking conversation of any depth. (I think he just plain has difficulty tracking conversation, but when it is casual he can play it off). He is very proud of his ability to read non verbal communication and has said it is an essential survival skill for him.

For the record, my husband is more than likely not going to get an eval. There is insecurity here. I was curious if anyone knew of ways I could help or alter the conversations to work for him? Interventions for adults? Subtle things which might make my more verbal processing easier for him?

Both my son and I are talkers. I am realizing many small frustrations I have might just be stemming from our different ways of communication. I want to help, but not make him feel broken or like I am providing some form of charity.

[geodob]

You asked about any ways you could help or alter conversations to work for him?

Where a most important thing for people with CAPD, is to give them time to process auditory information.

Take pauses in conversations of any depth, and let them reply in their own time.

This is an issue that often causes social problems for adults with CAPD?

Where other people often misinterpret a lack of an immediate reply?

As suggesting that the person with CAPD is ignoring them, and not paying attention to what they are saying?

Also feeling pressured to give an immediate reply, can also cause anxiety. Which compounds the difficulty.

So that they might give a quick reply, but it wasn't what they really wanted to say?

Which can cause problems?

 

But letting people with CAPD reply in their own time, is very helpful for them.  Which might even involve, going away to think about something first?

[kbutton]

I am no expert, though I have a child that flunked a CAPD screening, and we'll have him evaluated when he's old enough for the formal testing. We also have a lot of slow processors around here.

 

Do you think journaling back and forth might help--either hard copy or on the computer? He might still be a slower processor anyway, but at least it would take the auditory component out of the mix. He could reread things as needed that he would simply miss when someone speaks.

 

Some people swear by music lessons to help with CAPD. Does he enjoy music?

 

Has he had a thorough hearing test for normal hearing stuff, not just a screening? Some people have major hearing loss and don't know it. I realize it's different than CAPD, but it can contribute to problems as well if it's there. Even minor hearing loss changes the brain and the way it processes sound.

[EndOfOrdinary]

Wow!   It is like you are in our living room.  I honestly do not handle this well.  I like feedback.  I stack conversations in a very sequential way.  I get frustrated when I feel like I am being ignored.  :crying:   So, yeah.  Thank you.  It helps me realize it isn't that he isn't listening, doesn't care, or for some reason is just being hurtful.  I need to find patience.  This comment really gives me a different perspective. 

You asked about any ways you could help or alter conversations to work for him?

Where a most important thing for people with CAPD, is to give them time to process auditory information.

Take pauses in conversations of any depth, and let them reply in their own time.

This is an issue that often causes social problems for adults with CAPD?

Where other people often misinterpret a lack of an immediate reply?

As suggesting that the person with CAPD is ignoring them, and not paying attention to what they are saying?

Also feeling pressured to give an immediate reply, can also cause anxiety. Which compounds the difficulty.

So that they might give a quick reply, but it wasn't what they really wanted to say?

Which can cause problems?

 

But letting people with CAPD reply in their own time, is very helpful for them.  Which might even involve, going away to think about something first?

 

[EndOfOrdinary]

When we were first dating, we worked in the same small school together with kids who have serious emotional stuff going on.  Teachers dating was not really appropriate and would derail many of these kids into soap opera style behavior.  So we wrote back and forth together much of the time.  I mean, we dated and such, but we also had lots of discourse written.  I really see a difference in what he can write, and what he speaks.  I might need to find a way to swing a reoccurance of that.  I know it helped him feel more connected.

 

As for hearing loss, he likes to listen to music rather loudly.  I am quite caught off guard to how loudly sometimes, but he also says that it isn't the lyrics he wants to hear.  He likes the "feel of the music."  He is very much interested in music - listening, playing, learning about musicians.  Maybe I can encourage him to begin playing the dusty banjo which is still hanging on the wall :)....right next to my dusty guitar which I haven't played since my son was about 2.....:)

 

The music thing is good to know.  It is a major interest of his.
.

 

 

I am no expert, though I have a child that flunked a CAPD screening, and we'll have him evaluated when he's old enough for the formal testing. We also have a lot of slow processors around here.

 

Do you think journaling back and forth might help--either hard copy or on the computer? He might still be a slower processor anyway, but at least it would take the auditory component out of the mix. He could reread things as needed that he would simply miss when someone speaks.

 

Some people swear by music lessons to help with CAPD. Does he enjoy music?

 

Has he had a thorough hearing test for normal hearing stuff, not just a screening? Some people have major hearing loss and don't know it. I realize it's different than CAPD, but it can contribute to problems as well if it's there. Even minor hearing loss changes the brain and the way it processes sound.

 

[merry gardens]

When The Brain Can't Hear is an excellent book on CAPD by Terri James Bellis, PhD.  The author covers various forms of auditory processing problems in both adults and children.  There are various types of CAPD and they may require different strategies. 

 

What you wrote about needing a cubicle to prevent sound from distracting him sounds like background noise might be an issue for your husband. That's an issue for my ds. At larger noisy gatherings or if there's music or road noise in the background, he has a problem following the conversation, but in quieter environments, he follows conversations okay. We were looking at houses last year and I dismissed on house that was near a noisy road because I knew it would just be setting my ds up for communication problems.  Something as simple as taking down wind chimes from the front porch or not holding a conversation while the radio or tv is playing might be very helpful to some people.

 

There may be more than just background noise to someone's CAPD--and some people with CAPD may not have that particular difficulty.  Since you were looking for ways to help communication, and since you mentioned he has a hard time concentrating with noise, I thought I'd mention that.  When you want to hold a conversation with your husband, be aware of the other noises in the area--and see if seeking out a quieter area helps.

 

:)