Many children have difficulty using their good hearing in learning to read and spell.

   An auditory processing disorder may cause not only delay in spelling and reading comprehension, but also problems associated with:

• Phonics
• Attention
• Listening
• Distraction by background noise

      There has recently become a wide spread interest in the area of auditory perception in children. It is important to understand how an auditory processing disorder (APD), may impact the areas of general learning and speech-language-reading development and comprehension.

    Successful learning requires good auditory skills. All children may not have good listening abilities. When children have difficulty processing auditory signals, they may need special help to learn to hear effectively.

    APD may be described as difficulty in processing auditory information while peripheral hearing sensitivity and intellectual ability are unimpaired. In general, auditory processing (AP) is what we do with the information we hear.

    Common symptoms associated with APD include: not listening carefully to instructions, being easily distracted by background sounds, difficulty with phonics, spelling and/or reading, poor learning through the auditory channel, and below average performance in one or more academic areas. A child who has a history of frequent episodes of middle ear infections (otitis media), and subsequent hearing loss in the first few years may also be at risk for APD.

    A child suspected of having APD should be seen without delay by a specially trained audiologist. Although screening tools are available to check younger children, the full AP test battery is recommended to be administered to a child who is at least five years of age. The audiologist's evaluation should not only measure peripheral hearing, but should: identify presence of APD, classify the type and severity of APD, and provide compensatory or management strategies to help the child academically. For further information, please continue to the next page.  

About Gary Pillow,

    Gary Pillow graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Hearing. He stayed to complete a Master of Arts degree in Audiology. He has continued with postgraduate work in Reading and Deaf Education at the University of Virginia, Educational Audiology at Utah State University, and Speech-Language Pathology and Reading Education at James Madison University. He received his Doctorate of Education degree from Nova Southeastern University in Child and Youth Studies. His major doctoral study was entitled "Promoting the Recognition and Treatment of Central Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) as an Educational Issue". He also has an earned Doctorate degree of Audiology from the School of Audiology and Pennsylvania College of Optometry.

    Dr. Pillow holds Virginia Collegiate Professional Teaching Endorsements in Speech Disorders, Hearing Disorders, Public Speaking and as a Reading Specialist. He is licensed in both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology by the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition, he holds Virginia licensure as a Hearing Instrument Specialist. He has earned the Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American-Speech-Language Hearing Association in both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Dr. Pillow is currently in private practice and also is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Radford University, and adjunct instructor for the D/HH program at Marshall University.

    At HERDEWE, Dr. Pillow uses assessment protocol developed by Jack Katz, Ph.D., internationally known for his successful teaching and work with auditory processing. APD services include peripheral hearing testing and APD assessment to identify the presence, type and severity of the disorder. Full recommendations are then made for each child.

    Therapeutic and remedial treatment for APD is available in Dr. Pillow's Covington office.

    For an appointment, please call 1-(540)965-HEAR

    or email: Herdewe@aol.com 

 

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