My testimony: life changing success of hearing aids for Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) and mild hearing loss helped my granddaughter finally excel.

I pray that my testimony: Life Changing Success of Hearing Aids for Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) transforms the lives of others. When I met Cheri Moore, I was at my wit’s end. My oldest granddaughter, whom I had guardianship, had been tested for every possible psychological learning disability, including autism. She was prescribed medication, which did not seem to help. Still, no diagnosis.

I had no answers until Cheri Moore started to help me and recommended Central Auditory Processing (CAPD) testing. Finally, answers! She received a diagnosis of severe CAPD from an audiologist specializing in CAPD. It explained her behaviors and academic difficulties to a “T”. There was still a lot of adjusting for schooling and life, but I finally knew how to help her. Cheri Moore provided invaluable help during this time. It became clear to me how to help her now that she had the right diagnosis.

Hearing Aids for CAPD with Mild Hearing Loss

My youngest granddaughter had mild hearing loss. Despite so many issues at home and academically, the audiologist kept saying that her hearing loss was not severe enough for hearing aids. However, her behaviors and learning difficulties indicated that there had to be an underlying issue.

Thankfully, Cheri encouraged me to have her complete CAPD testing explaining that CAPD is a hereditary condition. Most importantly, she helped me understand that CAPD is improved with hearing aids because the brain finally receives constant stimulation from sound energy.

For the CAPD testing, we had to drive three hours and spend the night in a hotel. Also, Cheri requested additional hearing tests which could help us learn if hearing aids would improve her CAPD. Later, I understood how those additional hearing tests proved that her hearing loss was greatly impacting her ability to hear, listen, and speak.

I am so thankful for the support Cheri provided connecting us with specialists and helping me understand CAPD hearing test results. Most importantly, she helped me advocate with an audiologist using those test results and research for hearing aids known to benefit those with CAPD.

Also, Cheri helped both of my granddaughters understand their struggles. While she worked with them providing Auditory Integration Training and Brain Integration Training, I noticed improvements in their self-esteem.

CAPD, A Surprising Behavioral Characteristic

Cheri was certain there was a hidden hearing loss called Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Why? The answer will surprise you. Because, my granddaughter struggled with depth perception difficulties, a visual processing deficit.

When Cheri showed me how my granddaughter struggled to move both eyes together while watching a moving target, I began to understand why she cried or became very emotional almost every day. Later, the neurorehabilitation optometrist confirmed that she had very weak depth perception skills. Wow! That is why she struggled to balance on her bike. Cheri used games to help my granddaughter understand why learning was so difficult. No wonder she was struggling to learn how to read. She was smart! The issue was her eyes and her ears.

Vision Therapy

With Cheri’s help, my granddaughter began vision therapy to strengthen her ability to move both eyes together while reading and track a moving object. However, she continued to struggle to use both eyes together while moving. This made it too hard for her to ride a bike. She was often anxious and emotional.

I will never forget the doctor, her developmental optometrist, telling me she had hit a dead end and stopped making progress in vision therapy. Basically, he could no longer help her. With Cheri’s encouragement, the optometrist agreed to keep working with her until she received her hearing aids.

Success with Hearing Aids for Visual Processing Skills

After my youngest granddaughter received her hearing aids for her CAPD and mild hearing loss, she flew past the roadblock and met all of her vision therapy requirements. She finished the course. Cheri explained that the hearing aids strengthen the connection between her ears, eyes, and brain.

After just a month of wearing her hearing aids, she focused better at school and earned higher grades. One day, I walked outside. In shock, I watched her ride her bike for the very first time. It had sat unridden for years. She kept her balance and laughed out loud. She was no longer afraid. I cried and cheered all at the same time.

Everyone heard her talk more clearly. As she began to understand what she heard, the whole family felt grateful. She stopped arguing and having daily meltdowns. Best of all, she became less anxious, much happier, and more confident. Hearing aids for CAPD and one more auditory integration training program was the answer I had looked for all these years.

What Is CAPD?

Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is a disorder where the brain and the ears have trouble communicating. While listening, you mishear and struggle to comprehend. Background, competing sounds distract your focus. You hear everything, all conversations, and noises. This is why you and everyone around you assumes you have excellent hearing. However, your hearing system is supposed to suppress those background sounds to help you listen.

To illustrate, think of what happens when you are washing dishes in the sink and someone behind you suddenly starts to speak. You heard them. What did they say? You must focus and perhaps turn off the water. You may even need to turn around and look at them.

CAPD is not a typical type of hearing loss. It is a neurological disorder where the brain has trouble processing what most of us do instinctively, subconsciously. The number of central auditory processing skills would amaze you. Here are a few that help you understand the meaning behind the words.

• Discern the difference between phonemic speech sounds
• Hear the space between words in a sentence.
• Know the difference between low and high pitch sounds
• The brain receives sounds in the order spoken, first to last

If you would like to learn more about CAPD, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is a wonderful resource for in-depth information.

Can You Have CAPD and Other Types of Hearing Loss?

Yes! You can have both CAPD and other types of hearing loss. In fact, most of my clients later diagnosed with CAPD passed their hearing test. My past clients’ Moore Auditory-Visual Questionnaire Report and a screening test provided the information needed to reliably referred them to an audiologist specializing in CAPD. Those later diagnosed with CAPD had behaviors associated with hearing loss that negatively affected their auditory processing skills. Even older adults who gradually lose their hearing begin to struggle with auditory processing skills like listening and remembering details from a conversation.

Without hearing aids, the young granddaughter would have continued to struggle emotionally, academically, and socially at home and away from home. She would have most likely continued to struggle with visual processing skills. In fact, clients with CAPD who did not receive hearing aids often regress after completing vision therapy. Thus, I developed the Moore Auditory Visual Protocols to improve clients responses to therapy and maintain progress.

Why Do Hearing Aids Help Those With CAPD and Minor Hearing Loss?

My clients with CAPD greatly benefit from wearing their hearing aids all day, every day. Your brain requires consistent, strong stimulation from both ears, eyes, and other sensory systems for development and to maintain your development. When you easily and clearly hear speech at home and away from home, you subconsciously experience less stress.

Stress is known to negatively affect brain chemistry. Children and teens will seek ways to feel relaxed and happier. According to the DSM V, there is an increased risk of over-eating, not eating, video game addiction, and drug abuse in teens with attention deficits with hyperactivity who fail to receive help. CAPD can coexist with ADHD. Auditory Integration Training improves attention.

Hearing aids are beneficial for those with CAPD. Researchers found that even those with ADHD benefit from wearing Roger Focus Hearing Aid(s) at school. Auditory Integration Training therapeutically strengthens the connection between the ears and the brain. Hearing aids maintain that connection.

Essentially, Auditory Integration Training takes a bumpy gravel road from the ears to the brain and does construction to transform it into a highway for communication. Once the highway has been built and laid a strong foundation, the hearing aids are able to push strong sound energy up the highway to the brain without any of the message being lost along the road.

Schedule a Consult to Find Out If You Need A CAPD Evaluation

Schedule a free consultation with me to find out if you need an appointment with an audiologist specializing in a CAPD evaluation and fitting hearing aids. Or, do you need an in-home assessment to learn if your eyes work well together or to complete a CAPD screening evaluation. When there are concerns, I work with clients and their families through the referral processing helping them understand test results and develop an intervention plan. Your Moore Auditory-Visual Questionnaire Report improves communication and strengthens relationships by facilitating proper medical testing, treatment, and therapy.

Consultations are available via phone or zoom. For clients in my area, I am also available to meet in person.