Auditory Processing Disorder in Children

• Does your child often ask "what?" or "huh?"
• Do you need to repeat questions and directions frequently?
• Is your child easily distracted or bothered by loud or sudden noises?
• Are conversations difficult for your child to follow?
• Are noisy environments upsetting?
• Are verbal (word) math problems demanding?
• Does your child have difficulty following directions?
• Does your child make a great effort to hear the differences between words or sounds that are similar (COAT/BOAT or CH/SH)?
• Does your child struggle with reading, spelling, writing, or other speech-related language difficulties?

Auditory processing disorder affects about 5% of school-age children. 

The Way Senior Drivers Keep Safe On The Highway

As our nation ages, a greater number of people 55 and over are set to continue to use the roadways in the near future. As of 2009, there are more than 33 million drivers 55 and older. A majority of these individuals are strong willed on having their individual mobility and the all round convenience that comes with driving his or her cars. Measures brought to evaluate their all around health and driving skills might help adult drivers stay in the driver's seat without jeopardises in well-being.

Based on research via the NHTSA, senior individuals comprise of nine percent of the total population, yet they account for 14 percent of the driving fatalities and 17 % of all pedestrian deaths. At least 5,500 mature adults were killed in automobile collisions, while another 183,000 were injured. Circumstances such as deteriorating sight, reduced response times as a result of deteriorating motor abilities and a decline in overall wellness frequently contribute to collisions concerning elderly drivers over the age of 55.

Common Learning Disabilities

There are a lot of students who either have or develop different learning disabilities throughout their educational career. This could mean they have dealt with it since elementary or grade school, or they didn't have it until they went to college. Either way, it can still make getting an education difficult and can affect the grades they get. However, a lot of these disorders and disabilities are very common and although some may prove to be more of a challenge than others, they are still possible to work with and accommodate.

One of the most common types is attention deficit disorder, ADD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. This condition normally affects the attention span of students and can make it difficult to concentrate during lectures, tests, and assignments. There are ways to treat this medically with a prescription from a doctor. However, many students find ways to work through their disorder without medication. Students with ADD or ADHD should take frequent breaks while studying or working on an assignment, and find a way to relieve built up stress or tension. 

Irlen Syndrome - What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Irlen Syndrome is defined as a visual processing disorder that can mimic what people consider to be dyslexia and/or ADD/ADHD. Discovered by Helen Irlen some 30+ years ago, Irlen Syndrome can be the leading cause of many learning difficulties.

People with Irlen Syndrome have a light sensitivity in the Visual Cortex - the part of the brain responsible for interpreting the light waves which make up the images we see. For these people, certain parts of the light spectrum cause problems. When those colours are absent, reading and writing can occur easily. When the colours are present, the individual with Irlen experiences discomfort, fatigue, and a general feeling of 'this is all too hard'.

Basically, what happens is the images sent via the eyes to the brain travel through 2 nerves (4 in total - 2 from each eye). Normally, these 2 nerves fire at the same time sending an image which is in sync; crisp and clear for the brain to interpret. In Irlen Syndrome, one of these nerves fires at a slower rate causing the resulting images to be blurry and fuzzy - similar to looking at a 3 D TV screen without the 3 D glasses on.