Does anyone else have a Listening Disability?

dolfrog

Hi all
I have a life long Listening Disability, or the brain not being able to effectively process sounds and sound based communication , speech.
The technical term is Auditory Processing Disorder.
I was the first adult in the UK to be clinically diagnosed a having an auditory processing disorder, back in 2003, which was done to help the UK Medical Research Council gain UK government funding for a 5 year Auditory Processing Disorder research program, they needed a national support organisation for those diagnosed as having Auditory processing Disorder. I set up APDUK in 2002/2003 and the Medical Research Council got their government funding in 2004. (research program 2004 -2009 at Nottingham University) 
The Medical Research Council recommends that those who have Auditory Processing Disorders (there are 4 types of APD) require life long support from a multi discipline team comprising audiologists, speech and language, and psychologists. Unfortunately so far these professions have almost completely ignored this and other international research regarding Auditory Processing Disorders as they would have to be retrained, and improve the minimum qualification requirements for their respective professions. And their working as part of a team conflicts with their professional egos. 
When I have mentioned Auditory Processing Disorder on some Scope threads started by so called medical professionals they have deleted the thread in order to avoid exposing their ignorance and incompetence. 
Living with a listening disability is so isolating, and lonely, 
In recent years I have become housebound to avoid the disability discrimination and victimisation from others. 

Adrian_Scope

Hello @dolfrog. I'm really sorry this post seems to have been missed. I know you're quite frustrated about the lack of awareness of APD. Are there any books you'd recommend about the condition?

I think lots of us can relate to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Do you have much family support?

I hope you're having a good week,

Adrian

dolfrog

Hi @Adrian_Scope
I have a web page that  lists some of the books from both researchers, and those who live with Auditory Processing Disorders, 
at Evernote "Some WorldCat Auditory Processing Disorders Books" 
There are 4 types of Auditory Processing Disorders

Speech in Noise - having problems processing a target sound when there are low levels of background noise, some who have these issues have gained some benefit from using FM systems. Especially in classrooms and during lectures and presentations

Temporal form of Auditory Processing Disorder - problems processing the gaps between sounds, which can include the gap between words in rapid speech. This is the main underlying cognitive cause of Developmental Dyslexia, not being able to process the gaps between the sounds that the letters in a word represent (not being cognitively able to use phonics), and problems with sound based communication acquisition causing receptive and expressing speech issues. 

Amblyaudia - is about the brain processing what one ear hears better then what the other ear hears, dischotic listening issues. 

Spatial Processing - problems are about not being able to identify the location of a sound source. identifying where a sound is coming from. 

There are also problems of poor auditory memory which can cause word recall problems, poor sequencing skill, and having to run various coping strategies to work around our communication limitations can cause working memory issues. And the stresses and anxiety of living with Auditory Processing Disorders can also be detrimental to our working memories. 

dolfrog

Hi @Adrian_Scope

You asked "Do you have much family support?" 
All of my family, 3 sons, my wife and me; have a clinical diagnosis of having some degree of Auditory Processing Disorders

My wife and I were married for over 20 years before we found out about APD, one of the  main reasons we understand each other so well. My wife is my carer, I am supposed to be a worst case scenario, and have poor self organisation skills and abilities. 

The real cause of my frustration is the lack of awareness of APD and the failure of UK so called support professionals (Audiologists, Speech and Language, Psychologists)  to even discuss APD which has a detrimental effect on our sons and my wife. I feel i have failed them when i was running a support organisation to help the UK Medical Research Council fund a 5 year APD research program. The main problem is that these so called professionals do  not want to be retrained and use the same terminology to describe the exact same issues. Some so called leading academics are in denial ( I could name them lol).  

I can also see that previous generations of my family who were undiagnosed as having APD, due to APD only being recognised in the last 30 to 40 years. Those worst affected are in the native populations in the  Pacific regions of Austal-Asia. 

dolfrog

Hi @Adrian_Scope
I have recently developed a web page Regarding the Four Types of Auditory Processing Disorder which includes some links to my online Zotero based research paper compilation.
I had to create this compilation since March this year when the UK based CiteULike web site was closed down. I had to download the various research paper collection I had contributed to over the last decade or so, before the CiteULike web site closed down.
I found the Zotero web site a few weeks after they announced he imminent closure of the CiteULike site and i had to work out how best to use their web site is set up.which is very different to the old CiteULike set up.
My Evernote web page "The Four Types of Auditory Processing Disorder" is at 
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s329/sh/35c143f8-30d8-4b16-81d9-bb9bbd34449f/23638e20a161955c968bedd5bf0e59c9