My exhibition shines a spotlight on a little-known learning disorder called Auditory Processing Disorder or APD. Picture yourself sitting in class. You are seven, perhaps eight years old, and you are petrified. Your brain can't hear. As sound travels through an imperfect pathway, words become jumbled, distorted, and incomprehensible. That was me! Testing proved it wasn't a hearing problem, ADHD, ADD, or Dyslexia, but “a breakdown in receiving, remembering, understanding, and utilizing information”, aka Auditory Processing Disorder.
'APD strikes approximately 3-5% of all school-aged children.' The exhibition depicts how those APD kids mishear sounds and words, are easily overwhelmed, have trouble with spelling and phonics, and struggle with homework. APD kids kinda miss things – their brain glitches and does not assign meaning or the correct meaning to that signal. A perfect example of this disorder is when someone says, grab your rain gear, and what you hear is grab the reindeer. Of special note is the alcohol ink art piece that depicts my brain when it can't hear. The gold and vivid purples and blues reflect my brain firing on all cylinders. The dark areas overpower the other colors like my brain sometimes overpowers my ability to process information.
There's no cure for APD; it isn't stamped on our forehead or notched in our ears but is always perceptible through our actions. The hardest lesson to learn is how to advocate for yourself. Don't be shy. Raise your hand. Speak up when something needs to be clarified. Ask questions, seek additional help, and be patient. Educate the public. Many teachers, classmates, and other adults have never heard of APD. I hope this exhibition draws attention to APD and those like me who suffer from "brain freeze." We need to embrace our differences and celebrate the goodness in everyone.
Sources
“APD strikes approximately 3-5% of all school-aged children.” “Auditory Processing Disorder (for Parents) - Nemours Kidshealth.” Edited by Tammy L. Riegner, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Feb. 2021, https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/central-auditory.html.
“...a breakdown in receiving, remembering, understanding, and utilizing information” “What Is APD?” Ncapd, https://www.ncapd.org/What_is_APD_.html.
