Auditory processing disorder?

[Anonymous]

Hey there! I have 2 older teenagers who were diagnosed with ADHD/Anxiety.

One also has some hearing loss.

Both struggle w/foreign languages and go to college where this is required unless you have testing to get exempt.

Should I ask a psychologist? An audiologist?

I assume we will pay out of pocket, but we only have a little bit of schooling left...and obviously it is too late to ask public HS for help.

Ideas?

[Anonymous]

Audiologist will test for this

[Anonymous]

1) you should post this in parents w/ special needs kids, you'll get more hits.
2) kids like that often take ASL for their 'foreign' language and do very well at it.

[Anonymous]

Would sign language be easier?

I have heard of kids with learning disabilities who use ASL to meet the foreign language requirement .

[Anonymous]

I have this and it didn’t stop me from learning three foreign languages.

[Anonymous]

I would see an audiologist, OP. That is who tested my dc (ruled it out in our case).

I 2nd the idea of ASL, it is a language. As an adult with unilateral hearing loss, I have not been able to learn spoken foreign language (despite regular exposure for many years). Not saying all people with hearing loss can't, but I can't (my loss didnt' start until my 30's so I speak English normally, except maybe a bit loud).

[Anonymous]

Is Latin an option? There's generally not much listening in that class, just reading and translating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have this and it didn’t stop me from learning three foreign languages.

I have this and can’t for the life of me learn anything other than English, not even ASL. Everyone is different.

[Anonymous]

Do either of your children have auditory processing disorder? Is it that you’re looking for an APD diagnosis to get them out of foreign language classes they’re struggling with? Or because they’re having a hard time with foreign language you think they may have APD?

My nephew has APD that was diagnosed in later elementary school, which was considered a late diagnosis. His parents moved him from public to private school because he was struggling so much in school and the new school referred him for testing almost immediately. He’s now 17 and doing well in his public HS foreign language class, with the aid of a weekly tutor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) you should post this in parents w/ special needs kids, you'll get more hits.
2) kids like that often take ASL for their 'foreign' language and do very well at it.

That was going to be my suggestion

3rd most widely spoken language in the US after English and Spanish

[Anonymous]

My child has receptive-auditory processing issues. The first few years of Spanish were ok but now in Spanish 5 and struggling. We got a tutor and that’s helped the most.

[Anonymous]

I agree with ASL, ancient Greek, or Latin. Definitely not Chinese or another tonal language. Spanish is very phonetic. Korean or Hebrew could also be good since a lot of the first-level classes will be learning the alphabet via reading rather than speaking.

But no harm in getting an assessment anyway, since auditory processing deficits could have other implications and it would be good to know the best ways to compensate for them.

[Anonymous]

You need an audiologist that specializes in this for a diagnosis. We went to Potomac audiology, they were very thorough and it was covered by insurance.

It might be worth considering if this is more of a working memory issue or a hearing issue. For example, our daughter had no issue with vocabulary, grammar, reading, or writing in a FL. Listening related tests were always terrible and her grades showed huge differences between auditory and non-auditory element in her foreign language grades.