Maslow on Disability

Welcome to a new series on the psychology of learning problems; one way to think about them when deciding how to help. There will be at least 5 installments in this series so please sign up to receive updates via email. I don’t want you to miss a post!

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Who remembers that from Psychology 101? It is something that has unconsciously guided me all these years as I have sought to help kids recover from different types of learning disability. It applies to all areas of life, really, and is a great tool for mental organization when your efforts to bring improvement get overwhelming. Although I don’t think it was his intention, Maslow does a great job of explaining why disability can be so taxing in everyday life.

I’ve worked with many families over the years and, for most of them, the stress level of caring for an even mildly special needs child is overwhelming. As the depth of the special needs increase, the stress level for everyone (especially the moms, it seems) increases. But who was Maslow, what exactly did he say and how do we use it to help our kids?

Who was Maslow?

Abraham Maslow was an American Psychologist who published what is known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in 1943. It is a ranking of human needs that are laid out in a pyramid with the most basic needs at the bottom. Think about if you were suddenly stranded on an island. What is the first thing you would seek out? Water. What’s the second? Shelter. You would continue on from there until you were happily staked out in your Swiss Family Robinson-style digs, complete with your paintings created from dyes you made from jungle-fruit and painted with a coconut-fuzz brush.

Maslow certainly has his critics but I, for one, think his little chart is very useful.

What is the Hierarchy?

The lowest and largest level of the pyramid focuses on physiological needs; breathing, food, water, excretion, etc. Many of our children’s struggles start right there. Things as basic as breathing or eating are often difficult for my own son. His struggle with asthma and multiple, severe food allergies began impacting our lives from the time he was 24 hours old. Still a preschooler, he is a great little self-advocate. But, it’s tough for him to see other kids eat things he can’t have and no kid his age should be as familiar with the ER as he is. And, although the difficulty is within his own body, as his mother, I am very effected. I am hyper-vigilant. CONSTANTLY on watch, making sure that he doesn’t come into contact with peanuts, dairy, eggs or corn. Constantly making sure that the pollen count isn’t too high, that he isn’t lying on carpet and reminding him to hold his breath and run if someone is smoking in a parking lot. I am constantly on the search for new recipes, new supplements, new substitutions that will make his life a little more pleasant. He asks about every single food he sees, gradually cataloging what is safe and what isn’t. He even told me recently (after watching an iPad video about Adam and Eve) that the first sin was eating the wrong food. It is an exhausting, daily battle for all of us.

Level 1: Physiological Needs

For kiddos with sensory impairments, the world can be downright painful. Their skin may send them wrong messages about the clothes they are wearing or the hug they are being given. Many have multi

As we will see, difficulties in this level of functioning impact every other area of l

ife. This is also the level where we begin intervention. If a child is acting out behaviorally, for example, it is best practice to first determine why he is acting act rather than just putting him in counseling. He certainly may need counseling but if the root cause happens to be a vestibular problem (think gyroscope in the inner ear) then counseling will do little good.ple vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to problems with assimilation. If the inner gyroscope (based in the inner ear) is off, everything from walking to reading to copying notes from the white board at the front of the room may be difficult. If the cerebellum isn’t timing sensory information appropriately, sounds in words and sentences can get all mixed up and out of order. If the visual system isn’t processing spatial information about words on a page correctly, letters can appear to move around or flip. I’ve even had students who could not regulate their own body temperature or tell whether or not they needed food. Apologies ahead of time for going “there” but, it is also very common for kids on the Spectrum to have toileting difficulties as well. In my experience, learning problems are primarily physiological.

And within that, it is extremely important to identify all of the child’s areas of needs and begin our intervention in the area that developed first (OR the area that is most primal in the brain). For example, if a child has difficulty with higher order critical thinking skills but also has difficulty with auditory processing, we begin intervention with the auditory skills because that area of the brain developed first. Even though the critical thinking skills are more noticeable it would only waste time to begin there. The critical thinking problem is likely only a symptom of a deeper issue. Think of a tree. If you notice a problem in the leaves of a tree, you apply fertilizer to the roots and watch for the benefits in the leaves.

Stay tuned for a discussion of the next level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Level 2 is Safety Needs.

Be sure to hop on over to intensivereadinginterventions.com for more information on my work with kids with learning problems. Also, please check out the events listed on facebook.com/intensive.reading.interventions to see which upcoming FREE parent class you’d like to attend.

The Bad Kid at Wal-Mart

Maybe you’ve seen it, the child (who is old enough to know better) that is lying on the ground, screaming and fighting his mother in the laundry detergent aisle at Wal-Mart while the parent seems wholly unable to control him. Or how about the little girl in your Sunday School class who is always flailing around and knocking toys and blocks to the floor and then refusing to pick them up? Oh, and of course there’s your Niece’s kid who’s allowed to dress in sweat pants and T-shirts no matter the weather or the event. Really, what is happening to America? Why are parents allowing their children to act this way in public? What happened to discipline?

Allow me to let you in on a little secret. It’s called Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD for short, and despite not hearing about it on the evening news, it affects as many as 1 in 20 American citizens. Those individuals struggling with sensory processing disorder do not experience the world the way you and I do. The tiny sensors in their muscles, joints, skin, ears, eyes, nose and tongue either dramatically over or under-react to stimuli. And every day is different. Some days these kids manage just fine and some days are meltdown days.

What if you knew that the child in the laundry detergent aisle gets overstimulated from the squeal coming from the security system and is doing everything he can to hold it together during their trip through the store? His clothes feel rough and scratchy like they are full of twigs and sand. And just before they headed to the laundry detergent aisle, a flashing light on a display made the world seem to go red. Finally, the sound screeching in his ears, the scratchy clothes and the light became unbearable. As they rounded the corner where you stood, the stench of the chemicals in the detergents was so overwhelming that he could no longer maintain control. He was being assaulted from all directions and was desperate. You just happened to be the lucky audience member witnessing this little family’s humiliating struggle to just get through a trip to the grocery store. Another woman cuts her eyes and whispers under her breath, causing tears to sting the mother’s eyes. So, what do you do?

What if you knew that mother had spent two hours reading her son social stories and gently brushing his skin with a soft brush to help calm the nerves in his skin and prepare him mentally for the trip to Wal-Mart? What if you knew that she spends an incredible amount of money, which she really can’t spare, on special food because he is allergic to so many things and on special detergent to keep his clothes from bothering him? What if you knew that she dreads those little trips out and knows the toll it may take on both of them but the only family who lives nearby don’t understand his needs and only make things worse when he’s with them? And quite frankly, they can’t live their whole lives in the four walls of their house.

What about the little girl at Sunday School? Well, all of us have a tiny gyroscope deep in our inner ear that tell us where we are in space and help us keep our balance. Hers doesn’t work right. She loses her balance a lot and crashes into things. She trips and falls over nothing. She’s very easily disoriented. No one seems to know why but, every time it happens, grown-ups and kids around her tell her to be more careful, look at her angrily or even make fun of her. So, even at this young age, she has learned to retreat and hide. So, what do you do?

And that little boy in the funny clothes? Seams feel like sandpaper to him. Tight waist bands make him crazy. Are you starting to get the idea? So, what do you do?

Causation

What causes this? It wasn’t like this when you were in school. Don’t these kids just need to be disciplined? There are many theories but the science seems to indicate that one possibility is an abundance of toxic chemicals in everyday products that are wreaking havoc on developing nervous systems. See here for more information.

Okay, so now you’re realizing there’s more to this. Someone needs to do something to help. Well, you’re just the person. This is your chance to make a real difference where it counts. Something as small as a reassuring smile in the laundry detergent aisle or a hug for the disoriented little block-tosser can change someone’s world. Try asking your niece if there’s anything you can do to make her child more comfortable before the next family gathering. Maybe surprise them with a bucket of dried beans for him to submerge his hands and feet in (which can be very calming to some with SPD).

SPD can be very frightening and isolating. This is your chance to be a hero and show a hurting parent or child that they aren’t alone. You know what to do. You want to help.

Of course you’d like more information. You’re in luck. I just happen to know of a great resource. The Star Center in Denver, Colorado is one of the world’s leading research centers for Sensory Processing Disorder. They have a wonderful free webinar on their site about SPD. It explains the different types and what can be done to support a person with SPD. It will be worth your time and you’ll be able to help others understand as well.

Click here to see it.

You might also check out a couple of these books.

• Sensational Kids: Hope and help for children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), by Lucy Jane Miller, Ph.D., OTR
• The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz
• The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz

And, on behalf of all the 1 in 20 struggling with this difficult disorder, I want to say thank you for taking the time to educate yourself. We need people like you to stand with us.

And if your that mom. Hang on. It will get better. You are not alone.

As always, you can find more help at intensivereadinginterventions.com and facebook.com/intensive.reading.interventions. Be sure to check out the free classes on learning (including SPD).

Free learning classes

Hi folks! I just wanted to let everyone know about the free classes we have scheduled for this quarter and the upcoming workshops to add to your calendar.

Learning & the Brain: What to do when learning is hard

As many as one-quarter of students struggle with learning at some point in their educational career. Learning difficulty isn’t just dyslexia, learning disability ADHD or Autism, etc. It can be auditory, visual, sensory, attentional, cerebellar and more. Most of the time, it is a unique combination of these things that must be addressed in a way that works for each child individually. Most teachers and physicians want very much to help but simply aren’t trained to identify all the different types of learning problems and what to do remediate them.

In Learning & the Brain, I will be explaining the different types of learning problems that a child can face and how to identify them. I will give you ideas about what you can do at home to help your struggling learner as well as what type or types of professionals would be best suited to help you. Of course, I will also explain what I can do to help your child succeed.

So plan to join us for an enlightening morning! There will be a question and answer time at the end and I will have handouts that you can take home.

Be sure to register ahead. Seating is limited. Sign up on the Facebook page or call 417.496.9848 to register.

Here are the dates for the classes still remaining this quarter.

• Saturday, February 15th, 2014 from 9am to Noon.
• Saturday, March 8th, 2014 from 9am to Noon.

Coming Soon!

In the second quarter of this year, I will begin offering hands-on workshops to teach you research-based techniques to improve your child’s learning. You will go home feeling empowered!

Stay tuned for more details.

As always, find more help at www.intensivereadinginterventions.com and stay up-to-date at www.facebook.com/intensive.reading.interventions.

Blessings!

Yeast, Parasites and Bacteria. Oh, my!

Yeast, parasites and bacteria. What in the world do they have to do with learning? Well, as I have begun learning in the last few months, a great deal. I am always on the hunt for ways to break through any barrier to learning and my path has recently taken a turn into a whole new, microscopic, world I didn’t previously understand.

I recently became acquainted with a group of moms who are taking this stuff head on in an effort to heal their own children of everything from Autism Spectrum Disorders to Lyme disease to general learning and sensory processing problems. This was my jumping off point into a whole new realm of physiological problems that are negatively impacting learning. This introduction happened about the same time I had decided to take a second look at the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet (by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride) for my own son. Both of my boys have multiple, severe food allergies and the GAPS diet had been suggested years ago to help heal their sensitivities. I had dropped it at the time because it seemed too difficult in light of all that we were facing. I will discuss the GAPS diet in more detail in another post.

In her book, Dr. Natasha discusses a syndrome called Glue Ear that plagues many children. This is apparently a UK term for what we Americans would just call chronic fluid build-up in the inner ear. I had noticed that my just-turned-five year old son was still struggling significantly with balance, positioning himself in space (he was always running into things and banging his head on tables) and his articulation (pronunciation) had not kept pace with his language development. After discussing my concerns with a speech-path friend and an occupational therapist friend, my husband and I decided to get him in to an audiologist. What at first appeared to be a 50% hearing loss turned out to be fluid in his ears. “Chronic fluid in his ears for most of his life,” she said. Some kids just don’t feel pain the way others do and don’t notice ear infections or fluid build-up. Over time, that sludge in the inner ear causes all kinds of problems.

Now, back to Dr. Natasha. Apparently the make-up of the Eustachian tube and the inner ear is not all that different from the gut. We all know now how important a healthy balance of beneficial gut flora is for our immune function and even brain function. It turns out that the same balance is necessary for ear function. Beyond that, the Vagus nerve (the longest cranial nerve in the body) starts at the ear drum and extends through the brain and all the way down into the gut. The ear and the gut are literally connected.

When the flora gets out of balance, Candida Albicans, a yeast, can take over. The Eustachian tubes can become swollen and not allow fluid to drain properly.  Long finger-like extensions of this yeast can grow and actually punch holes in the gut allowing food particles and toxins to leak out, infiltrating the blood and the nervous system. This is known as leaky-gut syndrome.

But, there’s more. Brace yourself for this one. It seems that we all carry around parasites. Most remember our moms’ warnings not to eat raw cookie dough because we would get worms. Well, there are many more tag-alongs than just those good-ol’-fashioned pin worms. Some are large and visible to the naked eye. Some are microscopic. They are on surfaces, on our pets, in the soil, can be in our food and can even be in water we swim and bathe in. They have a long list of health impacts including everything from digestive distress to psychotic episodes. As I have dug further into this, I have been amazed at parents’ stories of potties and diapers full of worms and the incredible increases in communication, eye contact and learning that followed such a cleanse.

Finally, bacteria and biofilm. Scientists are beginning to understand that Lyme disease is greatly underdiagnosed. Bacterial infections, including Lyme, can build a protection of biofilm around themselves which can be impenetrable to the immune system and antibiotics. Some, though, are having luck penetrating the biofilm and then killing the bacteria with combinations of enzymes and essential oils among other things. The bacterial infections themselves have a long and complicated list of problems that they cause. Again, everything from learning problems to psychiatric disorders are linked to untreated bacterial infections.

Testing for all of these things can be tricky. Many people have reported testing negative for these things but seeing significant improvements when they were treated for these infections. And getting your family doctor to test for these issues may be even more of a challenge. Thankfully, there are groups of physicians, scientists and parents taking this bull by the horns and developing testing and treatment protocols to tackle these life-stealers. Check out some of the links below to help find a physician who may be willing to help you on this journey. Please be aware, though, that many physicians are uneducated about these concerns and their impact on learning. Therefore, while they may have the best intentions, they may be unwilling to look in this direction and may even go so far as to discourage you from doing so yourself.

Here is a limited list of symptoms for each of these types of infections. Please remember, I am not a doctor and this information is only meant to educate and help you seek out all possibilities for helping your child on this journey. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or anything else outside my realm of expertise.

Candida Overgrowth Symptoms

• Oral thrush, diaper rash
• Distended belly
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Allergies
• Ringing in the ears
• Rashes, hives, eczema
• Fatigue
• Brain fog, poor memory, ADHD-like symptoms
• Chronic fatigue or Fibromyalgia
• Constipation, diarrhea, gas
• Irritability and mood swings
• Vaginal or rectal itching
• Autoimmune disease
• Intense cravings for carbohydrates, starches and sugar
• Smelling like bread or alcohol
• Behavioral outburst, defiance
• Sensory integration problems

Parasite Infection Symptoms

• Diarrhea, gas, loose or foul smelling stools
• Distended belly
• Wheezing
• Fever
• Intestinal blockage
• Restless sleep
• Vaginal or rectal itching
• Abdominal pain or nausea
• Hives, rashes
• Swelling around eyes, damage to the retina
• Poor appetite
• Behavioral outbursts
• Seizures
• Low muscle tone
• Mucous in stools
• Bedwetting
• Nightmares
• Bloody stool
• Intense hunger despite eating well
• Explosive bowel movements shortly after eating
• Allergies
• Fatigue
• Bloody stool

Bacterial infection symptoms

• Defiant behavior
• Anger
• Meltdowns
• Diarrhea
• Aggression
• Violence (biting, kicking, hitting, etc…)
• Foul, smelly stool
• Distended belly

Here are a few resources (although many of these links relate to autism, please remember that any child can be impacted by these infections):

www.cdc.gov/parasites/az/index.html

http://www.autismorganized.com/symptom-checklists.html

bodyecology.com/articles/parasite-alert#.Uu1cXD1dWSo

www.tacanow.org/family-resources/what-autism-symptoms-mean/#Symptoms

www.medmaps.org

www.autismone.org

Of course, you can always find more help with learning at intensivereadinginterventions.com. Be sure to check out the facebook page to see updates on the current schedule of free classes and paid workshops. facebook.com/intensive.reading.interventions

 

May 2013 Giveaway

Here it is… the first giveaway of 2013

Visual Timer

This is a visual timer and can be seen in the Shop section of my website. This is great for developing time awareness in all kids and may be especially helpful for those with attention struggles. I really think you’ll like this little gadget.

Here are the rules for the contest.

• The contest runs through the end of May. The winner will be announced on June 1^st, 2013.
• You earn points for different activities.
• The person with the most points at the end of the month wins the contest.
• If there is more than person with an equal number of points, the names will be put into a hat and the winner will be drawn by a very helpful four-year old.
• Rack up your points then, comment on this post, email me or message me on Facebook to let me know your point totals. Please note that emailing and Facebook messaging are confidential but blog comments can be seen by anyone.

How do you earn points?

• Share one of my blog posts on Facebook (25 points per article).
• Submit a brain-healthy recipe (15 points per recipe; 40 points if I feature it this month on the blog. If I feature it another time, you will be automatically entered for the contest).
• Refer a friend to the blog (10 points per friend that signs up to receive updates via email. I’ll need a list of their names so that I can verify that they signed up).
• Like the Intensive Reading Interventions Facebook page (5 points – One time only).
• Sign up to receive the blog posts via email (5 points – One time only).
• Suggest a topic for a blog post (3 points).
• Like a Facebook post (1 point per like).

Have fun and Thank You for letting me serve you!

Blessings,

Angelique

SHEM 2013

Thursday, April 25th through Saturday, April 27th of 2013 was the Southwest Home Education Ministry’s yearly convention. It was held at the Springfield Expo Center in Springfield, MO. I have worked this event in the past and it is always a blessing. This year was no different. I was blessed to be able to speak to a large group of parents about how to identify different types of learning problems and what to do if your child is showing signs of any of these difficulties. It was fast and furious but I’ve gotten great feedback about the session.
The winner of the assessment giveaway has been chosen and notified. I look forward to meeting with this family soon! I must say, there were some very creatively folded/crumbled/scrunched entries! I am working through the slips that were filled out, calling those who requested more information. If you have not heard from me and have questions, feel free to call me. If I do not answer, I am either busy with my little guys or on the phone with another family. Leave me a message and tell me the best time to contact you.
I met sooo many wonderful moms and dads and even a few grandparents, aunts and kids. I heard dozens of stories about sweet kiddos and courageous parents who will do whatever it takes to help them. I love hearing the stories. You are why I do this every day! I hope I gave helpful information to help you on your journey. I have talked to at least two moms who have already begun making phone calls and setting up appointments for their children. Wow!
Public Speaking
I have had a couple of requests to speak to groups and will be working to set that up. If you are interested in hearing more, please let me know. I would love to speak to your group about a number of topics. I have a wonderful classroom space at my facility or, I am happy to come to you. I do not charge for meetings in the Springfield area (Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Willard, and Rogersville) but will charge mileage plus meals to travel to a location outside of the Springfield metro. Here are a few of the topics to choose from:
• Learning and the Brain: What to do When Learning is Hard (expanded version)
• Environmental Toxins: What are they? Where are they? How to avoid them and why do they matter?
• Components of an effective reading instruction program
• Strategies for success: Tips and tricks to improve learning
• Integrated Listening Systems: What is it and why does it work? (includes a discussion of the involved neuroanatomy)
• Interactive Metronome: What is it and why does it work? (includes a discussion of the involved neuroanatomy)
• You’re Buying the Food Anyway: Recipes and instructions for food preparation that benefit the brain
• Q&A time
• One-on-one consults (depending on the group size)
Honestly, there are probably more topics I have rolling around in my head so, if you think of something, please ask!
Resource List
I want to include a resource list. I found myself writing the same books, websites, topics down over and over and began to wish I had typed something up to hand out. Here is a smattering of what I remember.
• Homegrown Food is the local only grocery store in Springfield. You can find them at Farmer’s Market of the Ozarks or at Pickwick and Cherry.
• YouTube videos of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride are amazing. She is the author of The Gut and Psychology Syndrome, also known as the GAPS diet. I love a particular set of 6 videos with Dr. CMB and Donna Gates (author of The Body Ecology Diet).
• Lucy Jane Miller, of the Star Center in Denver wrote Sensational Kids, an amazing book on Sensory Processing Disorder. You can find this in the Shop on my website. The Star Center website also contains wonderful webinars.
• The Weston A. Price Foundation teaches about the implications of Dr. Price’s research into diet and the healthiest people groups in the early 20th century. This is the basis for my statement of, “If people didn’t eat it 1,000 years ago, don’t eat it. Your body doesn’t know what to do with it.” See westonaprice.org.
• Social Stories are a great way to help children on the autism spectrum, children with sensory processing disorder and even ADHD to internalize positive feelings about appropriate behavior. Just Google social stories. I will do a larger post about this soon.
• It is a good idea to avoid GMOs. Baker Creek Seeds in Mansfield, MO and Richter’s in Canada are two companies I know of that carry open-pollinated seeds.
• Meek Chiropractic in Springfield offers allergy testing. I thought they tested for 350 foods. That was apparently the DAN allergist in Kansas City. Meek tests for 96 foods. The cost is $322.43 (tax included) and requires a finger stick, not a blood draw. I am sure there are others providing allergy testing. Please let me know of other options that you have had success with.
That’s all for now. Keep watching for a post on the Blog giveaway for May. And, again, THANK YOU for letting me serve your family.
Blessings!
Angelique

What is Auditory Processing Disorder?

“I don’t understand. Explain to me how my son having problems with what he hears has anything to do with reading? Those are letters on a page, not sounds,” asked the father of the young boy I was working with. “And, his ears are fine. We had him checked,” he continued. He was frustrated and bordering on angry. After working with the child for some time with limited progress, I had administered the SCAN-C (a test of auditory processing skills) on a hunch. The child had received scores in the severe range on all four subtests.

At first, it doesn’t seem to make sense. If a child passes a hearing screening, why would something still be wrong? What does understanding what we hear have to do with a visual activity such as reading?

Very basically, reading is a visual code, or representation, for the sounds we hear. In order to make sense of the code, you must know the sounds they represent. Someone with auditory processing trouble will have difficulty making an accurate connection between the sounds and the code.

The pathways through the brain that allow us to understand language in any form are highly interconnected. When the signal comes in through the ears, it goes through different parts of the brain to be interpreted. The brain identifies the sounds as a word. It attaches meaning to it, a picture, and usually, the image of a word. Our brain also generates an emotional response that helps us make a decision about what to do with that information. This is called auditory processing.

The neurons involved in auditory processing are some of the earliest formed in the brain. We start out in life, long before birth, hearing sounds. Research now shows us that a story read to a child in the womb will be recognizable to the child some months after birth. Neurological pathways through the brain are built and reinforced with every piece of information coming in through the senses. The more times you hear certain sounds, the stronger those pathways become.

For different reasons, some children’s neurological pathways are not as strong as others. The message can get confused or, even, mis-directed all together. The causes could be genetic, from an illness, injury or toxic assult, among other things. For example, children that have many ear infections when they are young spend a great deal of time hearing through sludge. The signal the brain receives is garbled at best. The pathways that are built reflect that distorted message. Sometimes a word sounds one way and the next time it sounds quite different. When the child’s ears clear, the brain doesn’t recognize the way the words sound. He or she may struggle to make the connection between what they are hearing and the symbols they see on the page.

While a child with good auditory processing skills will be able to easily understand what he or she is hearing under various circumstances, someone who struggles in this area may have difficulty. People speaking with accents or someone turned away from them while speaking will be confusing. Background noise (TVs, other people talking or even classmates moving papers around) can make the original sound-signal incomprehensible. Rooms where sound bounces (like gymnasiums), may be overwhelming. The child may continually say, “Huh?” or not acknowledge the speaker at all. The child may become agitated for no apparent reason or may simply shut down. The energy they expend trying to comprehend what they are hearing is significant. They become overwhelmed, exhausted and can’t cope. One previous student of mine was called out repeatedly in the church youth group for failure to participate. By the time the parents finally became aware of what was happening, the child was retreating to a corner, covering his ears with his hands and curling into the fetal position. Why? Youth group was held in a gymnasium with a faulty sound system. The sound was distorted and bounced around terribly. What you or I might find mildly annoying was torture for this child.

Here are a few signs and symptoms of auditory processing order.

• Easily distracted by noise.
• Noisy environments can range from agitating to overwhelming.
• Inserting or mis-ordering sounds in words when speaking or reading.
• Completing school work and behavior are more pleasant when in quiet places.
• Difficulty following directions, especially multi-step.
• Problems with reading, writing, speaking and/or articulation.
• Difficulty understanding complex verbal information.
• Difficulty with word problems.
• Disorganized and forgetful.
• Difficulty following conversations. May just avoid groups of people all together.

If you suspect that your child may have a problem in this area, there is help. You may want to consult an audiologist. Most children will not qualify for a diagnosis of auditory processing disorder (APD) but will still need help. Some speech-language pathologists (SLP) are trained specifically to help in this area. If you seek out a SLP, you will want to make sure he or she has received training in remediating auditory processing skills.

Programs such as Integrated Listening Systems, Interactive Metronome and occupational therapy to address any trouble with the vestibular system (which is based in the inner ear) can have wonderful impacts as well.

Of course, I can help determine if this is an area that needs attention. You can contact me for assessment. You will also find some activities you can do at home as well as informational books in the Shop section of my website. I highly recommend When the Brain Can’t Hear by Terri James Bellis. Please understand that this is not something to tackle on your own, though. Just as you would not try to regulate insulin on your own for a child with Diabetes, appropriate medical and educational professionals should be consulted.

Further information on APD

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/understand-apd-child.htm

May I introduce… Myself?

Hello and welcome! My name is Angelique Chaverri and I own Intensive Reading Interventions. I am so happy that you have found my blog. Here, you will find articles about learning, tips and tricks, at-home activities, recipes for healthy brains, book reviews and any other bits of information I think you might find helpful.

How Did I Get Here?
I grew up in Central Oklahoma, just Southwest of Oklahoma City. While I loved being outdoors, reading was my great joy. I have vivid memories of visiting our school library as well as the small, one-room library in the next county (our community was too small to have a library of our own). I can still remember the images I created from many of my favorite stories as a child. I still love reading. I commonly have at least six books checked out from the library at any given time.

After high school, I moved to Missouri to attend Southwest Baptist University. During my psychology degree, I watched a video of a school in China that catered to babies born with significant brain abnormalities. Intense therapies were used with great results. Children were actually re-growing portions of their brains.

I was hooked. I made up my mind to go into Neuropsychology and began looking for schools. By the time graduation rolled around, I was planning to move to Dallas to get Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Neuropsychology. Then, two weeks before graduation, my roommate suggested we visit her uncle who happened to be a Neuropsychologist. We made the trip to Springfield and, in short order, my beautiful plans came crashing down. He tested, made diagnoses and referred patients but did not do any type of therapy.

I began to pray about what to do. The director of the Graduate Education Department at SBU, a friend, came to me and suggested that I’d make a good teacher. I joined the program. For two semesters, I worked towards becoming a high school social studies teacher. I was miserable.

During a Foundations of Education class came a gut-level epiphany. The professor was discussing elementary age children and how important it is for them to have a good foundation. I was, inexplicably, in tears. I scheduled a time to chat with him about switching my degree plan to elementary education. “Do you like bulletin boards?” he asked. “Not really,” I responded, thinking that I’d never had any experience with bulletin boards. “Then, elementary education is not for you.” Disheartened, I quit the program at the end of the following semester.

For six weeks I struggled over what to do. I prayed and searched for where I’d gone wrong. Finally, I felt led to begin substitute teaching. On the second day I was called to sub, I was sent to an elementary special-ed classroom. It was, what was known as, a self-contained classroom. The children’s needs were so severe that they spent very little, if any, time in the regular classroom. There were several para-educators who attended to specific children. Occupational therapists, physical therapists, adaptive P.E. teachers and speech-pathologists popped in and out throughout the day. The children worked with their paras doing something called Discrete Trial. I fell in love.

I was hired for a full-time as a para and dove in. I asked if there was any training I could attend but was told, “Baptism by fire, my dear.” It was a wild school year. The first time I saw a child throw a full-on tantrum in the floor, requiring restraint, was almost enough to make me quit. I learned about proprioception, the vestibular system and tactile stimulation. It was gratifying to see the smile of relief on a child’s face after I wrapped them in a large blanket and held them snugly when, moments before, they had been completely out of control.

At the teacher’s request, the school district paid for me to attend trainings in Kansas City. I got to eat lunch with university professors and hear amazing speakers. I saw that there was something that could be done to help these children and was amazed at how effective these methods were.

The following school year, I entered the Graduate Special Education program at Southwest Missouri State University (now, Missouri State University). The year after that, I was hired to teach my own classroom at another local school district. I can honestly say that those next two years were the hardest of my life. My students ranged in age from Kindergarten to seventh grade. Each one had a significant behavior problem of some kind. My para and I carried walkie-talkies and did police-style restraints on a regular basis. I went to grad-school at night and all summer. I routinely got the kids on the bus and then, sat at my desk and cried.

Near the end of the second year, my boyfriend’s mother (now my mother-in-law) came to visit my classroom. It was one of “those” days. A student melted down and the classroom had to be cleared. The children all went to their designated “safe places” and I held the door shut while the student tore the classroom apart. The glass in my door had already been replaced with Plexiglas due to a meltdown of another child. My, soon-to-be, mother-in-law walked up the hallway and called her son. “I don’t care if you have to work three jobs, you get her out of here,” was the command. I resigned at the end of the school year, completely burned out.

I had done the chunk of my research on methods to help children who struggled with reading. I knew amazing techniques but, in my classroom, I was unable to use them. It was very frustrating.

I went to work for a neuropsychologist who had opened a clinic for children with learning problems. I quickly instituted a tracking system (called Curriculum-Based Measurement or, CBM) to determine what kind of progress the students were making with his therapy measures. After some time, it became clear that only one of the three modalities was making a real difference. It was called Interactive Metronome.

Shortly before my husband and I married, I was let go from the clinic. The owner was not a business man by nature and financial difficulties left him unable to pay my salary. Fortunately, though, I had developed excellent relationships with many of the families we served. Those families encouraged me to start my own business. After a long summer of fretting over it, I finally did.

In August of 2005, at my kitchen table, I started working with students one-on-one. In December, I received my Master’s degree in Special Education and a teaching certification for cross-categorical, K-12 classrooms.

I used the best methods I knew and instituted the CMB tool known as DIBELS to track their progress. Week after week, it became painfully obvious. Many of my students were not improving. I prayed, went back to my stacks of research articles and prayed some more. How could I have missed it? There it was, in the back of every journal article. Even with these research-proven methods, anywhere from 20% to 40% of the students did not make enough progress to be transitioned out of special education services. But why? I had been taught that there was always a percentage of students who simply needed a different method of instruction. Apparently those were the students who made it out of special-ed. I had also been taught that a learning disability always has a neurological cause. What I was not taught was how to identify it or what to do about it.

I was determined. I would find a way to reach those kids. I began to remember the training I had gotten in my first school district. I started making contacts with professionals in other fields. Through inter-library loan, I ordered text books from occupational therapy schools, optometry schools, neurology and neuropsychology. Slowly, a tiny little piece at a time, the picture began to come into focus.
Over the years, I added Interactive Metronome (IM) and multiple standardized assessments to pin-point specific areas of need. I attended all the applicable trainings I could and devoured any information that would help me serve my kids. Little by little, my students started making progress. Real progress. Curriculum and teaching methods alone hadn’t done it. It was clear to me, finally, that there had to be a multi-disciplinary approach to help each child break past their road-blocks.

The first student that I took through IM shocked me. We had struggled for months to make progress. I would be sure he had a particular skill mastered but, a day or a week later, he would completely forget. He struggled for words when he spoke and when sounding out words as he read, he would read it correctly but was unable to understand what the word was until I repeated it to him.
After fifteen sessions of IM, we returned to our normal reading curriculum. I was amazed. He suddenly understood what he read. He flew through stacks of siteword flashcards. The most striking change, though, was when he spoke. His sentences were fluid and easy, not halting and pained as they had been. I couldn’t believe such a change had taken place in just a few weeks.

I have now added Integrated Listening Systems (iLs), another research-proven modality to help improve sensory functioning and strengthen neurological pathways. The first student I administered iLs for made remarkable progress. Even after weeks of IM, she still struggled with a significant auditory processing problem making it very difficult for her to function in a classroom setting. After a few months if iLs, most of which was done at home, her auditory processing tests came back completely normal.

Another student made huge leaps after beginning occupational therapy and removing allergens from his diet. I was shocked to see the difference in his cognitive functioning when he ingested even a tiny amount of something he was mildly allergic to.

I am learning more all the time. My goal is to put that knowledge to work to help as many families as possible understand why their children are struggling with learning and what to do about it. You will find many articles on this blog that I hope will help you find your way.

Enjoy learning and feel free to let me know if there is a topic you’d like to see me cover.

Blessings,
Angelique Chaverri, M.S.Ed., IMAP/IMC
Integrated Listening Systems certified provider