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Kids With Special Needs and Disabilities
How can you tell the difference between attention and processing problem
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Anonymous
| If a child can't attend, I assume he/she can't process well. |
Anonymous
|
Basically, you can't, because "processing problem" is an incredibly broad, generic term.
I would say that a child with an attention problem will have trouble attending to a wide variety of stiumli - some auditory, some visual, some kinesthetic, etc. That isn't to say that said child will NEVER be able to attend; kids with ADHD are able to maintain attention to preferred or highly stimulating activities (e.g., video games). But the modality won't be the defining characteristic. Kids with processing problems, on the other hand, are likely to have strengths and weaknesses between modalities. So a kid with a language processing problem will tune out during verbal lectures, but be very engaged on nonverbal tasks. A kid who has trouble with visual or spatial processing will be the reverse. |
Anonymous
| I think the PP has described the differences well. Another difference is that for ADHD kids, medication can improve attention but it generally does not improve processing. It may appear that processing has improved but that more likely a result of the improved attention. |
rleedc
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| I have a 10 year old newly diagnosed with auditory processing disorder. Can you suggest any schools (private, public or charter) that offer services for our special child? Thank you. |
Anonymous
| PP; My DS received speech language at public school, but when it improved to a point that he did not need support to understand the work, the IEP was ended. There are a number of schools where your child could fit in. I would explore the private school boards. Every public school must accomodate special needs, but you might get a broader range of answers by posting this as a new question on this board and say where you live. if you are in DCPS, there is some discussion there on this subject. And depending on the type the lab School is the leading school in the area for language issues. |
Anonymous
| Sorry: mean in the DC Public Schools Forum. |