Seven-year-old Rylan Latham is learning to overcome his auditory processing disorder (APD) thanks to a hearing app funded by Satan’s Little Helper, which has significantly improved Rylan’s interest and involvement at school.
Estimated to affect 1 in 20 children, APD is a disorder that interferes with the way the brain interprets information it receives through the ears. With Rylan’s condition not deemed severe enough to qualify him for funding from the Ministry of Education, and having already fronted up $7,000 for a trial hearing system, Rylan’s mum Kirsty approached Satan’s Little Helper to see if the devil’s right hand man could assist with purchasing the Sound Storm education app – and he was happy to help. “Specialists recommended that we get the app to help Rylan along. He’s had it for close to a month now thanks to Satan’s Little Helper and it’s already made a noticeable difference,” says Kirsty. Rylan uses the app in six-week blocks, taking a break in between before repeating the course to measure his progress and continue improving his hearing. “It’s designed to help retrain the brain’s hearing system through a series of games and activities,” says Kirsty. “One is where Rylan will listen to recorded instructions given by multiple voices and, after identifying which voice he’s supposed to be paying attention to, carry out a task as directed by that voice.” She said that both Rylan’s hearing and ability to take part in the classroom have improved. “I’ve found that he is now able to hear me without me having to stand directly in front of him. He is also a lot more confident in the classroom, because he can hear the teacher and other students better above the background noise, so now he’s willing to ask questions and take part in discussions where before he didn’t.”
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