Help me create a children’s book to raise awareness about Auditory Processing Disorder

I want to increase public awareness of this condition so that children who have APD can get the support they need to succeed, both in school and in life.

No media attention has been paid to this condition, and few audiologists specialize in diagnosing APD. As a result, its true prevalence in children is unknown and estimates vary substantially (1% to 6%). Like dyslexia, this condition affects a person’s ability to communicate, but it affects the process of understanding sounds and speech, instead of letters. APD can be acquired during adulthood due to a variety of causes, and estimates of its prevalence in older adults vary from 23 % to 76%.

Symptoms of APD in children include:

• reading, spelling, and/or learning problems

• difficulty following complex auditory directions

• inconsistent or inappropriate responses during oral communication

• difficulty comprehending speech that is rapid, indistinct or in a noisy environment

• delayed processing of speech

• poor auditory memory

• possible speech and language delay or disorder

• missed social cues

More information about APD is available from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

“What Did You Say?” will be my second illustrated children’s book. I am trying to raise funds to create this book through an online campaign. “What Did You Say?” is in the concept development phase, but in order for me to continue working on the book I need to raise enough funds to enable me to continue illustrating this important work. My multiple hearing impairments, together with my other disabilities, limit my employment options to find other means to support myself while working on this book.

Major contributors ($100 and above) will receive an acknowledgement in a section at the end of the book. My sincerest thanks to those willing to support this cause and my art.