[senco-forum] Re APD indicators and other info - andTesting-URGENT

Dear Alyson and All,

No known history of glue ear. One boy has been struggling to listen since he
was in Year 1 (now Year 5). He retreats into his own world, with his thumb
in his mouth. He can't seem to screen out any distractions around him, and
he can't cut something out of paper (for example) and listen at the same
time. His spelling is excellent, as is his word recognition, but he has some
semantic language difficulties, and pragmatic language too. He speaks to all
people in a similar way, and doesn't adjust his style to different people.
He doesn't pick up the meanings implicit in tone of voice. He has high
non-verbal ability (approx 80%le from memory) but lower receptive vocab
(about 45-50 %le I think). But he is not on the autistic spectrum and does
not have an attention deficit, I'm told. All our classrooms are carpeted,
have no humming radiators and have doors that close ever so slowly and
silently on springs. He is seated where he can see the teacher well and
receive discreet reminders. We use visual materials wherever possible,
including lots of use of the IWB. He wants to listen, he tries to listen, he
just can't. He excels in Maths, but English is hard for him because of all
the language.

Another speaks loudly all the time, and doesn't notice when the teacher has
stopped everyone and asked them to listen. He does have phonological
difficulties and is getting 1:1 teaching appropriate to his literacy needs.
His hearing also tests within normal limits.

Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: Philip MacMillan [mailto:P.Macmillan at exeter.ac.uk] 
Sent: 08 December 2007 17:54
To: Mary Kelly; 'Alyson Mountjoy'; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: Re: [senco-forum] Re APD indicators and other info -
andTesting-URGENT 

How, specifically, do you consider that these listening difficulties are 
affecting learning, have they had 'glue ear' in infancy.

Philip EP
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Kelly" <mary.kelly4 at ntlworld.com>
To: "'Alyson Mountjoy'" <saylon_uk at yahoo.co.uk>; 
<senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 5:44 PM
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Re APD indicators and other info - 
andTesting-URGENT

> Dear Alyson and All,
>
> I would really appreciate some good solid, practical advice on this. There
> are children in my school who have listening difficulties although they 
> have
> hearing that is within the levels the medical professional deems 
> acceptable.
> I have no doubt about their very real difficulties. APDUK tell me that the
> only place I can get APD diagnosed is at GOSH, and that, in any case, it 
> has
> no treatment other than the strategies that we already have in place 
> anyway.
>
>
> On the other hand, Speech and Language Therapists talk about auditory
> processing DIFFICULTIES, and recommend sound therapies as intervention. I
> have hunted in vain for the scientific data to prove the efficacy of these
> therapies but there are knowledgeable individuals who are very genuinely
> convinced that they are helpful in many cases. I think I'm right in
> including Dilys Traherne among them (from memory of reading her article
> "From Sceptic to Convert").
>
> I want to do something for these children. What is the right and proper
> thing to do?
>
> Mary
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
> [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Alyson 
> Mountjoy
> Sent: 08 December 2007 14:01
> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
> Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Re APD indicators and other info - and
> Testing-URGENT
>
> Hi,
>
> For those that are interested can I draw your
> attention to the following link regarding assessment
> of APD in the UK by GP referral to Great Ormond Street
> Hospital, with criteria etc, and an email link direct
> to the Chair of the UK professionals APD Steering
> Committee for any questions on testing.
>
> http://apd.apduk.org/adpdiagnosisuk.htm
>
> WARNING
> Please note;
>
> Both APDUK and the the APD Steering Committee are very
> concerned by reports that orthoptists and behavioural
> optometrists are now claiming to be able to diagnose
> APD, giving presentations on a scientifically untested
> and unproven visual model of APD (I'm quite frankly
> speechless!!) and citing scientifically untested
> therapies that can cure APD - which is blatantly
> untrue. These claims are dangerous and unfounded. This
> is a very worrying trend both to APDUK and
> professional experts in this field.
>
> APD is a medically-based physical condition that needs
> to be diagnosed by  a trained expert in that field,
> i.e. an Audiologist. You wouldn't go to a chiropodist
> for a suspected heart condition or to an oral surgeon
> to see about diabetes. It's like taking your pet to a
> car mechanic when they're ill! Common sense should
> prevail, but it obviously doesn't.
>
> Please do not refer to these people for APD testing.
> If you are one of these so called professionals,
> please refer those with suspected APD to those that
> are trained to diagnose it efficiently. Otherwise you
> are putting your professional reputation firmly on the
> line.
>
> I would appreciate anyone who has come across any
> orthoptists/optometrists or any other professionals
> claiming expertise in APD to PLEASE email me offlist
> with details, all of which are being passed to the
> Steering Commiittee for serious investigation.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Best wishes,
> Aly
>
> Chair Auditory Processing Disorder in the UK/APDUK
> www.lacewingmultimedia.com/APD.htm
> www.apduk.org
>
>
>      __________________________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
>
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