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Auditory Processing and Autism

We long suspected that Matthew had auditory processing issues in addition to his Autism. We couldn’t really put our finger on exactly what was happening for a long time. We kept telling his IEP team that we thought he had hearing problems, but we knew that he could hear and he passed hearing tests with flying colors. Then at an IEP meeting when Matthew was in High School, someone was finally able to connect the dots. I don’t remember who said it but it was a blinding flash of the obvious: it’s not that he can’t hear it’s that he’s not processing what he hears correctly.

And suddenly it all made so much sense.

Now I understood why, after hearing the SpongeBob song a gazillion times a day, he still had the words wrong. We had him tested and it was clear that he had auditory processing problems. What we couldn’t discern was, were these problems stemming from his Autism or were his autistic behaviors coming from the auditory processing challenges. We still don’t know the answer but we do know that the services he is receiving and how we all work with him really doesn’t change.

I tend to believe that he has problems shutting out distractions. I think part of his Autism is not being able to discern where his focus should be. So even though he’s trying to learn the SpongeBob song he is still listening to all the other noises he’s hearing and watching everything around him. But we can help them with that to some degree. The challenge for me as his mother is to recognize when I’ve given him all the help he wants, which means he truly has all the help he can effectively use. I have to recognize that eventually the Law of Diminishing Returns sets in. Usually this is the point where he starts to get frustrated.

Some children may not only be diagnosed with Autism but also have other issues and diagnoses as well. A common secondary diagnosis for some children with Autism is Auditory Processing disorder or Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD.) CAPD or auditory processing issues does not mean a child cannot hear. In brief, the child most likely has hearing issues. Hearing issues in CAPD or auditory processing issues could be some of the following:

They may not hearing all pitches of sounds (e.g., high sounds or low sounds.)

They may have significant issues with background noise

They may have auditory processing issues (for example: confusing the questions “How are you?” and “How old are you?”

Autism Online - Connecting Community and Resources

I discovered this great resource on Facebook and thought you might find it helpful. I am also posting it to the resources page.

Since 2002, Danya has developed and evaluated a number of educational products for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the caregivers, professionals, and advocates who work with them. As we prepared to take these programs to market, we realized that, while there are many Web sites with products and information about autism, there is no one online resource for individuals to go to find research-based, high-quality products that meet the needs of individuals with ASD.

AutismOnline is the only Web site of its kind devoted to providing research-based, effective, high-quality resources, products, and information on ASD across the lifespan. Products are geared toward individuals with autism, as well as their caregivers, teachers, professionals, paraprofessional, and advocates.

Our mission to provide products for all individual affected by ASD—including individuals with ASD themselves, caregivers, advocates, teachers, and professionals—makes AutismOnline a unique and extensive resource for the autism community.

Discovery of Abnormal Gene Pathways Suggests Targets for Future Medicines

Now this is exciting…

These findings are exciting because they point to genetic pathways involved in brain development and reorganization that could lead to the discovery of targeted pharmaceutical interventions,” says lead researcher Eric Courchesne, Ph.D., of the University of California-San Diego Autism Center of Excellence. For example, future medicines might be designed to alter gene activity in ways that promote repair or otherwise normalize brain development.”

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