CAPD Community

Zack came home very close to tears on the first day of third grade this year. The teacher felt the need to inform them of everything that they would learn over the next ten months. Just a tad bit overwhelming for an eight-year-old with Auditory Processing Disorder. Barring that, I thought things went pretty well for the first week.

Day One – Week Two

OKAY! Now, I realize that the reason it went so smoothly was because homework did not begin until today. HERE WE GO! I looked it over and it did not look so bad. Stuff he was used to. Stuff I knew he could handle. But, not after a full-day at school spent deciphering and decoding what everyone was saying for 7 hours. He did it all-the crying, the hair pulling, the hyperventilating.

WHY ME? WHY DOES HE SAVE THIS FOR ME?

Because he knows he can. He knows he is safe here to be himself. I just let him work it out. I imagine this is what he wanted to do all day when things were hard; when he didn’t understand something.

And so I went to my journal and wrote:


Today I Prayed…..

Today I prayed for Patience.
Today I prayed for Strength.
Today I prayed for Restraint.
Today I prayed for Wisdom.

I drew, slow, long, cleansing breaths.
I sat on my hands.
I bit my lip and kept my mouth shut.
I fought back the tears that stung my eyes.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
I held together my broken heart.

Today, I helped my son with his homework.

We are their safe haven. We are the place where they draw strength from; the strength to cope with the daily challenges of a living with APD. We have the great responsibility of fostering their value and self-worth. We are their family!

I am a married mother of two beautiful children; a 6 year-old girl and an 8 year-old boy diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder named Zack. I have a Master’s degree in School Counseling, have worked as a guidance counselor, residential counselor with severely abused adolescent girls, a crisis counselor, and for the last 12 years as the manager of a dental office. To that list, I now add CAPD Community blogger.

I am creating this blog based on my experience that whenever I mention to someone that my son has CAPD/APD, the person knows or loves someone who is struggling with this disorder. These conversations usually last for 2 to 3 hours. Obviously, these people need to talk about their own experience with learning disabilities and be heard as much as I do.

Although I do have some counseling experience, I don’t come to this blog as an expert or as one who has had any great success in coping with how his disorder has affected my life and that of my family. I come as a mom who loves her son; a person who feels deeply and as someone who is dedicated to sharing what could easily be buried deep in my heart.

If these ideas resonate with you, please join me on this journey. I welcome comments and advice on what you read and see here. I, too, am here to learn. So, please share any information, resources, and/or helpful advice that you may have. Help me to create a cohesive community dedicated to helping us help ourselves and ultimately, our children and family deal with the challenges of living with APD.