auditory processing Archives - Epidemic Answers

Sound-Based Therapies

This excerpt is provided with permission from the book “Outsmarting Autism: The Ultimate Guide to Management, Healing and Prevention” by Patricia S. Lemer Many individuals with developmental and learning issues demonstrate problems with sound sensitivities. Both under- and over-responsivity to sound are common. Those who are hypo-responsive may “tune out,” and appear deaf at times. Others may be under-responsive and experience certain environmental sounds such as the humming of a fluorescent bulb as intolerable or even painful. Birthday parties, shopping malls, restaurants, sporting events and other gatherings can be particularly troublesome for them, because of the unpredictability of sound. Distorted processing of auditory signals impairs the brain’s ability to focus on and give meaning to that which is heard. Inconsistencies in hearing the various frequencies of sound, or lack of synchronicity of the two ears, can result in behavior that is distractible, avoidant, hyperactive, inattentive or bizarre. Utilizing sound to facilitate bodily change is not new. For centuries, almost every culture on earth…

Where Do I Begin?

Where do I begin? Should I start with my being pregnant and working at a stressful job in New York City? Maybe I should first write about my family history of celiac and not knowing that having undiagnosed celiac/gluten intolerance can have major consequences to your unborn child. Maybe I should begin with my son’s delivery. I describe the aftermath as being a crime scene, (sorry for the visual). Let’s just say it was the perfect storm of two injections of an epidural, lots of pitocin and a forceps delivery. The Crying Began As soon as our bundle of joy came home…the crying began. The doctor diagnosed him with having an awful case of colic, the worst she had ever seen. He was prescribed a cocktail of Maalox and Zantac for the first year and a half of his life. No other suggestion was made other than medicine and changing his formula. Throughout all of this I was trying to…

The Vestibular System and Auditory Language Processing

By Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A. Excerpted from The Out-of-Sync Child: Understanding and Coping With Sensory Integration Dysfunction The vestibular system and auditory language processing: Children with vestibular dysfunction may also have auditory language processing problems. As they research their child’s disability, many parents learn about sensory integration and the importance of the body’s vestibular system, perhaps the most basic of all the sensory systems. Initially they learn that the vestibular system coordinates body movements, maintains balance and equilibrium, and helps children develop normal muscle tone. It is not as immediately apparent, though, how the vestibular system influences auditory language processing. However, the vestibular system plays a significant role in the development of language, so that children with vestibular dysfunction may also have auditory language processing problems. It’s important to realize that the vestibular and auditory systems work together as they process sensations of movement and sound. These sensations are closely intertwined, because they both begin to be processed in the receptors…

ADHD Causes

Kelly Dorfman, MS, LDN, discusses ADD and ADHD causes. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), with or without hyperactivity, is a subjective diagnosis that physicians apply to a standardized cluster of behaviors and symptoms. ADD/ADHD is on the “less severe” extreme the autistic spectrum, with PDD (pervasive developmental delay) and autism on the “most severe” end. Doctors sometimes “upgrade” autism or PDD to ADD or ADHD as sensory and cognitive function improve. Identifying ADD and ADHD causes assists in determining effective treatments. Attention deficits can result when one or more of the following areas is affected. Biochemical/Nutritional Nutritional Culprits Nutrition alters brain chemistry. When nutrition is compromised, the body is more likely to absorb toxins, causing further distress. Keeping a record of your child’s nutritional intake over several days can be enlightening. Look for these commonalities: A high carbohydrate or sugary diet; Over two cups of juice or sweetened drinks per day; Limited or no vegetables- especially green leafy ones; Picky eating….