Information Intake
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Catwoman42
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- Location: Glasgow
Information Intake
I have noticed many times recently that I don't seem to be hearing what others hear. And my friend constantly tells me I'm not listening. Do we process information differently? Could we sit in a group and hear a speech and hear something completely differerent? Or am I just not listening properly. This has implications for me as I'm trying to train as a counsellor.
Re: Information Intake
Yes, I do think this is connected to having dyspraxia. There are a few possibilities where this is concerned, all things I used to do regularly. The first is that you might be (unintentionally) switching off due to attention or concentration problems, something which I did from an early age. My mother decided I was deliberately ignoring her, but of course I wasn't, I was instead getting absorbed in my own thoughts (or day dreaming). When I was at primary school there were incidents of me being reprimanded in front of the class because I hadn't been listening when the teacher was telling the class about something particularly important- this was either because I'd been daydreaming or the other possibility is that I hadn't been able to process all the information that I'd heard. People with dyspraxia often take longer to process what they hear, which means that by the time you've processed what the person was saying when they started talking, you've then missed out on other things they have been talking about in the meantime (this is especially likely to happen if the person talks quite quickly).
The final thing that can happen with someone who has dyspraxia is that you can indeed hear the sounds of speech differently, so it's possible to think you've heard something different to what was actually being said. When I was secondary school age, I had a real problem with not hearing what had actually been said, which made me reluctant to speak to people I didn't know (eg in shops) because it was so embarrassing when I hadn't taken in what had been said- sometimes I'd asked someone to repeat something three times and had still not taken it in! It was very frustrating for me in French and German lessons because I was actually quite good at reading and writing the languages, but had a nightmare when it came to listening tests, mainly because the sounds I heard seemed to be getting jumbled up together.
I think what helped me the most with my ability to process what I hear was going on the DDAT programme. I'm not saying you should rush off and go on that, as it's expensive and some people think it doesn't work, but I'm fairly sure it helped me where that was concerned. If you want to improve your ability to interpret the sounds you hear, I would suggest you have a go at watching some films with the subtitles on, as this will alert your attention to where you might be completely mishearing what's being said and might help to train your ear. You could also listen to pop songs whilst following the lyrics. When I was younger, I used to be terrible at picking out lyrics by ear but I'm quite good at it now.
The final thing that can happen with someone who has dyspraxia is that you can indeed hear the sounds of speech differently, so it's possible to think you've heard something different to what was actually being said. When I was secondary school age, I had a real problem with not hearing what had actually been said, which made me reluctant to speak to people I didn't know (eg in shops) because it was so embarrassing when I hadn't taken in what had been said- sometimes I'd asked someone to repeat something three times and had still not taken it in! It was very frustrating for me in French and German lessons because I was actually quite good at reading and writing the languages, but had a nightmare when it came to listening tests, mainly because the sounds I heard seemed to be getting jumbled up together.
I think what helped me the most with my ability to process what I hear was going on the DDAT programme. I'm not saying you should rush off and go on that, as it's expensive and some people think it doesn't work, but I'm fairly sure it helped me where that was concerned. If you want to improve your ability to interpret the sounds you hear, I would suggest you have a go at watching some films with the subtitles on, as this will alert your attention to where you might be completely mishearing what's being said and might help to train your ear. You could also listen to pop songs whilst following the lyrics. When I was younger, I used to be terrible at picking out lyrics by ear but I'm quite good at it now.
Re: Information Intake
It's nice to know others have this problem - sometimes I think I'm going deaf. I lose concentration and then can't remember what's been said. Bit of a problem at staff meetings! It seems my brain has a mind of it's own and goes off on a tangent while I'm supposed to be listening. The more I try to concentrate, the worse it gets.
Kim
Kim
Re: Information Intake
Sounds very much like you could have ADD which many dyspraxics will have although you should have been told that if you have had a proper diagnosis by a proffesional.This is not to be confused with ADHD it is now diagnosed seperately as there are different types.
Features of ADD include
DEficits in attention to detail particularly in schoolwork.
Careless,messy work,inadequately thought through.
Impersistence [ failure to complete tasks and shift from one uncompleted task to another]
Daydreaming,does not appear to listen or follow conversations,or instructions.
Organisational problems
Lack of forward planning.
Avoidance of tasks that require sustained attention or self application.
Stimulus bound[distracted by irrelevant stimmuli within the environment]meaning that your easily distracted by whats going on around you
.
Unable to stay on task.
Difficulty following conversations,frequently interupts and/or changes the subject midstream.
Several of these features must coexist as all of us have individual features of ADD at times
Features of ADD include
DEficits in attention to detail particularly in schoolwork.
Careless,messy work,inadequately thought through.
Impersistence [ failure to complete tasks and shift from one uncompleted task to another]
Daydreaming,does not appear to listen or follow conversations,or instructions.
Organisational problems
Lack of forward planning.
Avoidance of tasks that require sustained attention or self application.
Stimulus bound[distracted by irrelevant stimmuli within the environment]meaning that your easily distracted by whats going on around you
.
Unable to stay on task.
Difficulty following conversations,frequently interupts and/or changes the subject midstream.
Several of these features must coexist as all of us have individual features of ADD at times
Re: Information Intake
This causes a lot of issues for me socially and im fully aware of it and it really lowers my self esteem as i now i must appear really bad from the listners perspective. 
For istance:
I was recently with a friend, she has dyspraxia aswell and we went in a cafteria to get some lunch. I can follow the conversation for awhile but then ill go into my dazed moments and will start zoooming all around the room and have to apologize and asked her to repeat herself and i was in such a trance i didnt process any information. Its agrivated by excessive noise in the room, my main problem is noisy enviroments!
I can communicate with groups of more then 3 people, as i find it overwhelming keeping up and participating in discusions,thererfore in larger groups i tend to be awkwardly silent as i know if i try particpate i will say something stupid (as it will be a pressuireised response) or i will not comphrend completely the topic of discusion. This has resulted in me having individual friends i socialise with but limatations in expansion in group activities.
I have good and bad days - somedays ill be readily able to communicate. Others i will be so exhausted anything i say will be complete nonsence, unconstructive and just overwhelming.
For istance:
I was recently with a friend, she has dyspraxia aswell and we went in a cafteria to get some lunch. I can follow the conversation for awhile but then ill go into my dazed moments and will start zoooming all around the room and have to apologize and asked her to repeat herself and i was in such a trance i didnt process any information. Its agrivated by excessive noise in the room, my main problem is noisy enviroments!
I can communicate with groups of more then 3 people, as i find it overwhelming keeping up and participating in discusions,thererfore in larger groups i tend to be awkwardly silent as i know if i try particpate i will say something stupid (as it will be a pressuireised response) or i will not comphrend completely the topic of discusion. This has resulted in me having individual friends i socialise with but limatations in expansion in group activities.
I have good and bad days - somedays ill be readily able to communicate. Others i will be so exhausted anything i say will be complete nonsence, unconstructive and just overwhelming.