Don'T You Get It? Living with Auditory Learning Disabilities

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) affects as many as 5 percent of children. It has been called a "hidden disability" because it is often mistaken for everything from odd behavior and deafness to other disorders such as ADHD or sometimes even autism. It is none of those things. It is a processing problem, considered a learning disability, where the child (or adult) is unable to integrate information that is spoken to them. It can be a very debilitating disorder affecting the child in many aspects of life, from academics to peer relationships. And many children and adults have the disorder and don't even realize. Don't You Get It? Living With Auditory Learning Disabilities: A Guide for Parents and Professionals was written by three experts in the field, led by educator and speech-language pathologist Dr. Jay Lucker, along with Dr. Loraine Alderman, a school psychologist, and Harvey Edell, a former teacher. And all three co-authors have APD. The book is filled with important information about the disorder, but even more so, it gives several real-life accounts on how APD actually manifests itself. The book also addresses the inherited nature of APD, through the intergenerational stories by Edell, his daughter Alderman and Alderman's teenage son Andrew. This is an important book to read if your child often asks "What?" or just doesn't seem to "get it." And Lucker is one of the most respected sources when it comes to this disorder, so you shouldn't pass up any opportunity to read what he has to say. Ever realize that you or someone you know does not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even though the sounds themselves are loud and clear? For example, the request "Tell me how a chair and a couch are alike?" may sound like "Tell me how a hair and a cow are…