Customer Reviews

Like Sound Through Water: A Mother's Journey Through Auditory Processing Disorder

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A mother can usually sense if there is a problem with her child -- but what if the solution is not right in front of you? In this book you'll follow the personal experiences of a courageous mother, Karen Foli, and her son Ben.

The book, "Like Sound Through Water: A Mother's Journey Through Auditory Processing Disorder," by Karen Foli, allows readers to follow along on Karen's personal journey during her young son's life. You'll be there at her son's birth; read about the problems Ben has at school; and read about the numerous testing and therapy sessions. Through all of this, Karen has had her share of doubt and disappointments. She knew that Ben was different from other children -- that he wasn't developing as they were. His speech was delayed and he had trouble communicating. Despite negative test results by schools and misdiagnoses by doctors, Karen continued to look for answers. She finally found them from an audiologist, who discovered that Ben had an auditory processing disorder (APD). Ben had problems processing sounds.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book...the author's words speak to the reader like a close friend. It'll bring you on an emotional, personal and triumphant journey of a mother's struggle to find answers about her son. You'll understand how powerful a mother's love and devotion is, and you'll also learn a great deal about auditory processing disorder.

This book is a rare find: a memoir that reads like a novel but offers so much more to the reader than a compelling story. It shows what can happen when a mother and father keep looking for the answer to the question, Why can't our son communicate with his world as other children can? Why can't he speak? Why can't he understand what is said to him?

It provides one of the best examples I've ever read of how a mother's love and belief in her child can overcome the efforts of professionals and experts to label the child, even though the label clearly doesn't fit. When I finished the book, I was filled with hope and the belief that there's so much that can be done to help these children reach their potentials.

Foli brings the reader into her home and family, unfolding the story of the journey she and her son, Ben, took to find a correct diagnosis and help. One of the things I love the most about this book is how Foli brings each event in this often difficult journey to life with sometimes painful details and often refreshingly honest humor. For example, there's a heartbreaking scene early in the book in which the child's grandfather realizes that his grandson simply doesn't understand when spoken to.

But the book is more than a memoir that I couldn't put down. It's also a firsthand account--the first one available--of what a child and family experience when a child has auditory processing disorder. I was especially interested in this because a nephew of mine has had similar difficulties communicating: garbled speech, difficulty understanding words. I really appreciated the author's detailed description of the programs and strategies that helped her son: Fast ForWord, Step 4Word, Fokes Sentence Builder, and the Lindamood-Bell LiPS programs.

Foli also provides a basic guide to auditory processing disorder in the final chapter, along with brief case studies of other children and their experiences overcoming APD. The additional resources ending the book offer a good starting place to find more information on the disorder.

All in all, this book is a refreshingly honest, well-written, and informative memoir of a mother who never, ever gave up on her son.

Dr. Foli has crafted a book which seamlessly combines a heart-wrenching story of love and commitment, with an informative work examining the symptoms and difficulties associated with Auditory Processing Disorder. With no exaggeration, I could not put this book down once I began reading it. The similarities between Dr. Foli's son's and my own son's development were chilling - the similarities between my own feelings of guilt and grief and those so eloquently described by Dr. Foli were profound.
This book is a must-read for parents of children with APD, as well as extended family, teachers, speech therapists, and school administrators who interact with APD children. I expect that my copy of "Like Sound Through Water" will have passed through many hands by the time my son graduates (from college, magna cum laude)!

I was very disappointed in the undertone of this book regarding Autism and any other diagnosis other than APD. Karen's knowledge of Autism, ASD, DSI, and special needs is very limited to what her husband has told her and very very inaccurate. She makes comments such as that a child with Autism wouldn't know that a person was alive and a rock wasn't. She also implies more than once that children with Autism/ASD have no ability to show affection. Inaccurate and insensitive comments like these show how little she looked into her son's problems and the details of different issues her son may or may not have had. She ignores the fact her son has sensory issues and many delays other than APD and acts as though she couldn't accept her child if he did have any sort of disability. She even seemed cold when talking about other children with physical disabilities as if she felt sorry for them and she wasn't in special needs boat.

I didn't like the book overall. I have a son with APD and I wouldn't recommend it. Many kids with APD (and most with Autism who also have APD/CAPD) have numerous issues to deal with. If your child has anything more than classic, simple APD, you'll most likely get very discouraged at her disregard for any other diagnosis, delay or disability.

Don't waste your money thinking you can connect with another Mom here. Spend your money on something that may actually help your child's APD.

The message this book brings about is simply that of a parent and the family's journey. The underlying experience is important. APD has so many components that are unique to each child, it is unjust to think this is the "typical outcome". Ms. Foli seems abrupt at times but I also think many of those who don't understand APD, but would lead a parent to believe they do, leads to much frustration. As far as APD being a motor speech disorder, not sure I whole heartedly buy that one... Autism is very different, but those who display Autism can definately and often display APD qualities. APD is not a stand-alone, rest-your-hat-on-this-one type of disorder. But many with who display mainly APD qualities are productive successful citizens, I consider myself one of them. If you have been told your child will not be, get a second opinion. It is not a cookie-cutter disorder. Each child is unique. Take this book for what it is, one mom's journey, but realize your own may take on similarities but also my have very different turns. Borrow this book, it is a good read, but only for the one time you will read it...want something to sink your teeth into?? Look up Terri Bellis...

My review was prompted more by the comments about
autism that were previously posted, rather than any
inspiration about the book itself. To start with the
latter, although I found the tone self-indulgent,
I am feeling generous today and decided to rate the
book 4 stars because there are so few articulate
resources about processing disorders out there.
I am the mother of an elementary school child with
a visual processing deficit that is just as murkily
understood as APD. So I could well relate to
Karen's frustrations in getting the straight story
out of the medical and educational establishments,
and the struggles to get her child help.
My comment about self-indulgence is prompted
by the sense I got from reading the book that,
perhaps because Karen and her husband were medical
professionals, they made lifestyle decisions
that may have felt right to them but were probably
not the most helpful for Ben. There is a fine line between
doing what you as a parent think feels right, versus making
personal choices that may have exacerbated Ben's
difficulties, even after they knew something
was amiss. Being a stay at home Mom in the styx
of rural Indiana may have been an idyll for Karen
and husband, but it compromised Ben's access to
medical, educational and social resources
in his critical pre-K years.

I found the "this is autism" message mean-spirited
and unhelpful. However, I should say that there is
a medical cadre that postulates that developmentally-based
processing disorders of any kind belong on the mild end
of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) spectrum.
The "PDD spectrum" is the new millenium term for what
used to be called "autism". For what it is worth, this
identification does ring true to me. Autism is, in essence,
an impaired ability to make sense of the the world around
you and your relationship to it. These attributes almost
prefectly describe the clinical apsects of audial/visual
processing deficits, and their socio-emotional consequences.

oh my. trying to write this review brings back the fear and anger of knowing my daughter wasn't autistic but yet was not "normal" by most standards. this book was the key to the cypher for me. foli's experience was almost identical to mine--all the misdiagnoses and attending misery. my daughter is 9 now. she's ferociously smart and doing well in a regular classroom. CAPD is nothing to be afraid of or saddened by, and having a child with this problem can be incredibly instructive for handling ALL children. my younger daughter has learned so much from just being a part of the struggle to understand and help her sister. please also read the books by teri james bellis--they're excellent for a more technical understanding of the problems of CAPD.

Like Sound Through Water is one of the best books I have ever read on processing problems. Her journey is told in a novel like fashion so the information is easy to follow and even easier to understand. Karen Foli has taken a very challenging subject to understand added her heart and made it easily accessible. By sharing her personal expereinces Karen will inspire parents with the tools necessary to help their children to reach their highest potential. Her work has helped me both with the children I work with as an Occupational Therapist and also with my own child who has had processing challenges. What a blessing her work is.

It was amazing to step into this account of Ben's family and their fight for a correct diagnosis and treatment. After reading the first chapter of Karen Foli's book, I told my husband, "This is our story. I could have written this book." After almost two years of testing and different therapy options, I finally had a professional confirm my suspicions two weeks ago: your child fits the criteria of a child with APD. WHile reading, I ached with the familiarity of the emotions Ms. Foli so transparently shared. Surprisingly, at a point in the book that seemed almost like an aside--the day she found a snake in her driveway--I found myself bursting into much-needed tears. I could so relate to "Snake-killing Mom" and the fierce desire to protect my family at any cost. This book is more than a wonderful resource for parents of APD children.It should be read by any parent of a child with special medical or developmental needs. It is a testament to the power of love and commitment in fighting for a child's future.

My 8 year old son was just diagnosed with APD. I am not a reader, but I read this 280+ book in 2 days. I cried most of the way through it. This is my story. Someone else went through what I am going through. She talks about the guilt about not doing enough, she did so much for her son. I feel helpless most of the time and guilty over things I have no controll over. She talks specifically about the treatments, like the Fast ForWord software as well as other things she tried. I think now I can pick my head up and keep trying to help my son.