Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) parents, I need a bit of help

Ktllc · Dec 10, 2012

The school has provided a very lousy fm system to V, it gave a lot of feedback and now it does not work anymore.
Teacher and I have not been able to really draw anything from the experience since the quality of the device is less than perfect. The head was also a bad fit, the wire and receiver cliped on his pants annoyed V HUGELY.
Now, we are "waiting" for the expert to tell us what the problem is.
In the mean time, V has started Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) therapy and Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) told me it did not take her 10 minutes to realize that V has some major Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) issues.
I decided that I was going to get him a good system and just pay out of pocket. I am simply not willing t wait anymore. We've known the issue for over a year and waiting is not acceptable anymore. We'll just pay and help our son.
My understanding was that the isense micro from phonak was a good solution (no wires to mess with and endorsed by our dear Buddy

no pressure LOL).
But now, the audiologist who diagnosis V about 6 months ago tells me it is not a good choice for a 5 year old. It's complicated and heavy. She sugested the amigo FM system from oticon with paded headset (yuck, I doubt V will like that).
http://www.oticon.com/products/wireless-accessories/amigo-fm/about-amigo.aspx
here is the isense link: http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/products/fm/receivers/isense.html
The audiologist is looking to see if she can order both for in office trial. And then we'll see how V reacts and what he likes best. By ordering both at the same time (knowing that one will be returned instantly), I try to avoid too much back and forth as her office is not close.
I know the audiologist think the isense is heavy but V has BIG ears... is it relevant? I don't know

I do respect professional's opinion but I don't want to be influenced in the wrong direction.
She also tells me the isense is very pricey, but there are some online store that seel it for about half her price! The isense would still have to be shipped to audiologist (phonak policy for proper fitting). So fina cially: about $1100 for the amigo and $1500 for the isense micro.
Any advice and input welcome!

buddy · Dec 10, 2012

Heavy? Its two teeny hearing aids one on each ear ....with no ear molds, just a little soft tube that wraps toward the ear canal. The wire behind the ear is not adjustable though so it might be a little long but is bendable.
By far the most light weight system, no headphones ...they're barely visable. They work with any phonak microphone. We got the better one which can be adjusted to only pick up the microphone wearers voice, a little broader range or a wide range. We do have issues with one ear turning off here and there. Head phones would be less fragile I believe but doesn't allow normal sound through. The isense lets them hear everything with no blockage but makes whats in the microphone louder.

Ktllc · Dec 10, 2012

but doesn't allow normal sound through

That was exactly one of V's complaints when he first tried the school fm system. I tried it myself and did not like it either.
To be honest, I have not been super impressed by this audiologist but she is the only one in NC who will see kids younger than 6. So as usual, we have to work with what we have.
V becomes bothered by stuff very easily. That's why clothes are always soft, tags cut as soon as we get home with new clothes and I rarely intervein in the kind of cloth combination that V chooses. Just not worth the battle or the full blown meltdown should I say.
V liked the hearing amplifier which was not exactly small... Gosh, I wish we could just go to a store like we do for glasses. Try them all out and then decide which one fits best.

buddy · Dec 10, 2012

Then I'd push for a sound field system.... thats a speaker (s) by where he is sitting (yes they may have to move it but these days they can be very portable ....) then he won't have it on him and it can benefit anyone around him too!

justour2boys · Dec 10, 2012

My Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) son used 2 different "field" FM units in school, which were provided by the school. The first was a receiver unit that was wireless and sat on his desk... looked like an office conference call system. Then one year the receiver was a tower unit used for the whole class and he sat close to the unit. In both cases there was a wireless mic the teacher wore around her neck and there was also handheld mic for student use.

In all cases, the teachers loved the units and the Principal has been trying to purchase a classroom field with- tower unit every year so there is at least one in each grade level. Also, he did not use an in-the-ear model.

But in middle school he did not want the FM unit, so he is sitting front row center in each class.

Ktllc · Dec 11, 2012

One of the problem I'm having: Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) is NOT recognized in NC. So I know for a fact, the school is unlikely to invest a penny in a new efficient system like a sound field...
I'm trying to go around the problem by buying one myself with the intention of using it during demading situations at home and around town (restaurants, shopping).
It is the same with getting therapy: I have to get him out of school 2x week for him to receive private speech...

buddy · Dec 11, 2012

Ktllc said:
One of the problem I'm having: Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) is NOT recognized in NC. So I know for a fact, the school is unlikely to invest a penny in a new efficient system like a sound field...
I'm trying to go around the problem by buying one myself with the intention of using it during demading situations at home and around town (restaurants, shopping).
It is the same with getting therapy: I have to get him out of school 2x week for him to receive private speech...

But Sound Field may be not be more expensive. When I worked in a small room I actually used a high tech boom box made for speech therapists/classrooms which had a microphone attached and I upped the volume on that by 20 db. But for wireless formal fm systems, the microphone is the same. It just sends a signal to a speaker instead of ear level speakers. The speakers are going to come in a variety of forms, from very high tech and classroom wide types to types that sit on the desk or floor very close to the student in need. The question is, will he end up not wearing them if they are ear level types? Of course then, it will do you no good. Teachers wont complain about having a speaker sit in a spot in the class. They do have to get used to wearing a mic and making sure they turn it off when they get phone calls, go to the rest room etc. So, the microphone is what they will likely complain about the most. But it really is not a big deal once they actually use it and see it works fine.

Which do you think he would use more consistently? Headphones, "hearing aid" types of devices or having a speaker next near by?

While I love the isense, we do have technical problems with the ear level ones that are not as common with others...the more sophisticated the technology the more issues. Wax can block the tubes and has to be cleaned out but you can get kits for that and the isense comes with a little tiny filter on the end and you purchase extra filters to swap out. They become blocked and all sound stops and he wont likely tell you so you have to make sure someone at school is responsible for checking that as well as daily checks of batteries (which are expensive by the way). We have an issue with one of them for some reason it does not connect to the signal on and off. There is a very good warranty so anything will be repaired. All of these things do have to go through a cooperative audiologist. They wont dispense to you privately. ( Q tends to like to wear one anyway and we put it on the ear that better processes when he needs the info and the one that is worse when we are working on boosting his use (because of his brain injury he has more issues on one side)).
http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/products/more_products/soundfield/product-details.html

look at page ten of this kind, there is a small portable speaker to go with the system so if he goes to the library for story time or you want it to go to an after school program or they switch classrooms for some reason, the speaker is tiny and can be plopped down. it has patches for tv and other technology too but you probably dont need that now. This type of thing could really work for you if he wont tolerate the physical touch of head phones or ear level receivers.

http://www.cetaceasound.com/documents/brochures/cetacea_product_brochure_edu_2012.pdf

this is from : http://www.cetaceasound.com/orbiter/

by the way, I think the person you were talking to was thinking of the old isense....even the classic one is now upgraded to be a small ipod like receiver (maybe thicker) with very lightweight ear bud type things, but open with that flexible tube I toldyou about that just kind of wraps inside thefold part of the outer ear, it is not like anything sold in stores so hard to explain but does not close up the ear canal like traditional ear buds or hearing aid ear molds. Q has the isense micro which are two very small hearing aids (which come in a ton of colors so of course he got bright green) again, can have traditional ear molds made for them but they come with the little plastic thing that just holds in in the ear near the ear canal. The wire from the aid to the little part that goes in the ear is longer than it needs to be. On traditional hearing aids that is ordered at a certain size and this comes in one size which is more for people with bigger ears (Q has smallish ears) but they are bendable and he also has a holder much like glasses holders so if he pulled them off they would not go flying. It is weightless and sits behind his head but it is not necessary, we just opted for it because of horseback riding.

oh, here's another called chatpack desk top sound field system:
http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cf...=19327&productid=74419&trail=0&discontinued=0

I dont know about any of these personally just searching for options ..... nothing is perfect sadly, the total for what we purchased was about $2700 with microphone and aids. We also got personal ear molds made at about $100 but they tore because this unit is not really made for them, so we used the ear molds from our school system and they are the more traditional outer ear kind and they worked well (Q likes to have outside sound blocked sometimes so we use that to give him the ability to only focus on the sound coming in the microphone.....that is not traditionally how an fm system is meant to be used)

Ktllc · Dec 11, 2012

Thanks for all the links and details.
Reading about the different options, I actually believe the isense might be the better option for V. He is a very active child and it would make the system more portable and useable at home. We are always outside, doing stuff around the property and V struggles, has a hard time keeping up with the family activities. Usually it revolves around work but we include the kids otherwise we would never have family time! It's always noisy as it usually involves running various equipment and everyone talking at once.
The audiologist is supposed to call me back within the next couple days, I might suggest she watches one of the youtube video of the isense. She probably indeed is thinking of an oledr version.

buddy · Dec 11, 2012

yes, that is why we went that route. If you go that route the best microphone is probably needed because you can make it receive a very narrow band so wind etc. is not as much of a problem. That makes Q crazy...when wind blows thru and it goes in his receivers....but there is a button to push so it quickly turns off and you can just push it on when you want to have the signal come close to him.

Q sometimes wears the microphone himself on the wide band so if he is sitting in the living room it picks up the tv etc. He just likes that. IF you are one on one in a quiet setting then of course the whole thing is not needed, there is not distracting sound etc. But if there is background noise you can put the microphone by a tv or movie or computer speaker etc. We have experienced no feedback.

Ktllc · Dec 11, 2012

Unfortunately, home is almost never a quiet setting! lol
It sometimes drives myself over the edge because there is alway, at least, one child screaming.
It is extremely difficult to have more than 5 minutes of quiet time in this family.
I suppose it is the nature of young families. As the kids get older, I'm sure the volume of their voice will be a bit more contolled.

buddy · Dec 11, 2012

Ktllc said:
Unfortunately, home is almost never a quiet setting! lol
It sometimes drives myself over the edge because there is alway, at least, one child screaming.
It is extremely difficult to have more than 5 minutes of quiet time in this family.
I suppose it is the nature of young families. As the kids get older, I'm sure the volume of their voice will be a bit more contolled.