Parent/ Self Testimonials

(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ): I am truly amazed at the progress-‘A’- has made this year. Thank you for all the hard work you do for her benefit.- Nicole B
(Practitioner- Dr. Christa Reeves Atlanta GA) I have noticed a marked improvement with Tripp since coming to Little Listeners! Less drama during homework, grades are trending upward and his attention span is significantly improved! Thank you! Michelle-Parent
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ): My daughter has improved so much with her comprehension of words and sounds, as well as her fluency in speech. She enjoys coming to each session. We have been given at home exercises to continue her training in between sessions, which has helped dramatically. My daughter would not be doing well in school if we hadn’t started therapy with Kavita. Thank you so much! -Wendy N
(Practioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA; Practioner Dr. Jay Lucker):My son, Cedric (who we affectionately call “QB”) was diagnosed with an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) in December 2017 by Dr. Jay Lucker. Even though I am a healthcare professional, I was unfamiliar with this diagnosis and what it ‘really meant’ for my son. Dr. Lucker was optimistic about my son’s future and encouraged us to seek the support of Dr. Kavita Kaul. Prior to seeking out her services, QB was struggling with multi-step directions, was frequently frustrated when introduced to new concepts, he seemed overwhelmed by the expectations at school and he would come home each day completely exhausted and cranky. In addition, he was struggling with developing his reading skills because he could not process much of instruction his teacher was providing.We met Dr. Kaul for the first time on January 2, 2018 and we began services with her at the end of that month. In just 4 ½ short months, QB has developed the ability to understand and follow multi-step directions, his anxiety when being introduced to challenging concepts has decreased, his attention span has increased and he comes home each day with a level of confidence and pride that we have never seen before. He has begun reading at grade level and comes home excited to read to his sister and other family members! I am grateful for the work that Dr. Kaul is doing. She is assisting QB to develop and strengthen skills that will continue to benefit him both academically and well into adulthood. I encourage any and all parents who have children with APD to seek her out. She is a life-changer! -Kristen W
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) Dr. Kavita Kaul has been exceptionally helpful in diagnosing both of my children with auditory processing disorder and providing them the therapy they need to be successful in and out of the classroom -David L
More letters in February 2013 SSW reports. Please click on the link to read further.
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) When we first brought our son John to Dr. Kaul, he did not like to read and was scoring at “Not Meeting Expections”. John was also very distracting in class, both to himself and the other children. Since he has been seeing Dr. Kaul, his behavior has begun to improve, and most importantly John’s reading has taken off. He finished the school year with an “Exceeds Expectations” and is 2 full reading levels ahead of where they wanted him to be. His spelling has also seen a remarkable increase. Now, John brings us books to read to us and even challenges himself with more advanced level material.Thank you, Matt F
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) APD Therapy Testimonial: My son was who has Autism was diagnosed with APD 3 years ago at age 8 and since then we started the journey of APD remediation therapy. I have been thoroughly pleased with the benefit and incredible advancements this has provided to us, in the overall function of my child. He is able to tolerate loud noises, decoding at age level as tested by school per Woodcock Johnson 2 assessment, is more regulated, able to have at least one verbal exchange with another person, reading level improved. His motor difficulties have also resolved since starting this: my child is able to eat different foods, easily work with fasteners, zip, loops, buttons and play tennis! Important to note, there was no Occupational Therapy provided and this was the only therapy that was given to my child in the 3 year span. Overall, I feel it was one of the best things we did when he needed it most. Our therapist has been always been proactive and has tried various interventions/ programs and evaluated if they helped him. Thanks Swapna
(Practioner- Maryann Kaminsky Richmond VA) (Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) Hi, Maryann! It is always great to hear from you. I never miss a chance to brag about Seth and I am glad you will have the chance to showcase the hard work you, Dr. Kaul, and Mrs. Buckner put into him. Please feel free to use his name and whatever information would be helpful.
Wow, where to start? When Seth started his journey with you all he was frustrated and ready to give up. Being in a family of readers he knew something was different but had no idea what it was. His reading level was very low. Lessons learned one day seemed to evaporate overnight. He has trouble following directions. Everything was a challenge school wise and he would give up at every obstacle. And personally, although I believe somewhat related, he always seemed to be ready to blow up at the slightest provoking. I was trying my best but it seemed like no matter how I presented information to Seth (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) The information became jumbled and confused. Often times he would sit and stare as if life was taking an unexpected toll and he didn’t have energy for extra mental stimulation, daydreaming, or sometimes even to play. Through his work with you, Dr. Kaul, and Mrs. Buckner Seth became a totally different person. It was not overnight but the progress was steady. Seth started following directions with multiple steps. Information was retained. He met challenges (both from school and in his personal life) with gusto. He began to explain concepts well. I about died when he started reading for fun! His grades were as bright as his new found smile. Seth says that life made more sense because he could put things in order and trust his recall of information. Now Seth turned seventeen in December. He is just starting his first job as a lifeguard. He is charming, kind, and delightful. He loves debate, politics, trivia, and reading. He takes initiative in almost any situation. He volunteers with our church as an usher and with the children’s ministry. Everyone loves him. In the last six months he discovered Tetris and within two months (despite having limited computer time) became one of the highest ranked players in the country. Tetris is a video game but I like it because it uses spacial summation and quick thinking. Seth says he still uses his skills he learned in speech and auditory processing therapy daily, but his coping mechanisms are not obvious. Somethings still take him more time than expected but he doesn’t give up. He tells me his career goals are to either be a chef or go into politics. He is looking forward to taking a couple of community college classes over the summer and transitioning to a full community college schedule in the fall. He is a totally normal or even exceptional kiddo!! He also says to tell you hello and give a hug to Elmo for him. He uses the recipe book you gave him quite a lot. He makes treats from scratch for his youth group each week. Thanks for the opportunity to brag about Seth. And thank you for all of the hard work you put into him. All the very best,Larae and Seth
(Practioner- Maryann Kaminsky Richmond VA) (Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) I think that the auditory processing therapy and speech therapy were huge helps. It took a lot of therapy and I think over time he was able to use what he learned to work for him. He also learned how to study on his own and he does it for hours. I cannot go into specifics with what therapy you and Maryann did because I wasn’t present during the sessions, but I don’t think he would be where he is today had he not done them. Maryann spent a lot of time on Reading Comprehension, which continues to be his weakness, but he is so much better with reading and processing the information. His decoding skills are now above average according to his Language Fundamentals teacher. Michael really struggled early on with expressing himself. Michael had a lot of smart information in his head, but when he tried to articulate it, he honestly didn’t make sense some times. This is why I think he did so poorly on the WISC test when he was 8 or 9. After years of auditory processing, Speech, and Occupational Therapy he finally got that “click” and he did great on the WISC 2 years ago (slightly above average) and he is getting A’s in all the core subjects at school (B+ in PE and Drama). Fast Forward was a great success in my opinion, really helped Michael with reading comprehension.FM system did not help Michael and he found it uncomfortable and gave him headaches at the end of each school day. Michael did not do vision therapy. He wore glasses for astigmatism, but that went away and so he no longer wears glasses. OT was a huge help with Emily Mason. His handwriting improved, his strength improved and his spacial orientation when writing and drawing on paper greatly improved. He continues to be very athletic and is captain of his middle school basketball team. Juliana
(Practitioner Dr. Turetgen) Chicago Illinois, and San Antonio Texas: I just wanted to send you a quick note of thanks. Today I had [my daughter’s] Domains meeting and your report was invaluable in providing a complete shift of approach. The school agreed to do a complete evaluation including cognitive, ADHD, speech, LD both reading and math and sociology-emotional. Your piece of the puzzle opened up doors to get a more complete picture on how to support [my daughter]. I am so grateful!
(Practitioner Dr. Turetgen) Chicago Illinois, and San Antonio Texas:“ …I have to tell you she went to speech therapy and met a goal of “past tenses” she’s been trying to meet for years!!!” (received 9/11/2020 from parent)
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ): My eighteen-year-old son has only been working with Kavita for a short time, but his understanding about his own auditory processing has been invaluable. He wanted to work with her because he found the lessons productive and helpful. He liked that she had many adult clients and was reassured that he was like others that needed these skills and training to be successful in life. As a parent, I felt he was recognizing when to “lean in” to a conversation and didn’t disappear as often at the end of dinner. He developed confidence and was able to interview confidently for his upcoming career. We are grateful for the six months of work with Kavita, and hope he can continue when he is on his next break. (Sheila F)
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) Seeing your sweet child struggle in school and socially is heartbreaking, especially when you cannot pinpoint the problem. I was in that position when my child started kindergarten. She had difficulty following directions; she was so exhausted when she came home, much more than the other kids; and she got frustrated when we asked her to communicate her feelings on just about anything. She did a battery of tests, and we learned that she had deficits in auditory processing. To be honest, I had never heard of it before and was not quite sure what to make of it. My daughter’s therapist, Dr. Kavita Kaul, however, was patient with my daughter and us. We learned very quickly that it was about how my daughter’s brains was wired (to put it simply) and how we needed to get her to reprogram it. When I sat it on the tests, I was amazed at what I saw. My daughter could not hear certain sounds. That explained a lot, like why she kept asking me to repeat things and why she couldn’t follow what was being taught in school. We had about ten sessions and by the end we saw significant change. Most importantly, in my mind, my daughter herself learned to identify the problem and how to manage her processing issues. My now 14-year old daughter has grown into a beautiful, smart young woman who makes straight A’s. I often wonder where she would be if we hadn’t pursued therapy. Would she have figured out how to self-correct on her own? Is that even possible? All I know is we were able to address the issue while she was young, giving her an opportunity to meaningfully learn during her formative school years. For all of those parents on the fence, please, if you can, give your child the benefit of therapy. It could be, as it was, in my daughter’s case life-changing. Your child is not lazy, or just “not book smart;” in fact, your child is working 200% harder than the other children just to stay afloat, which is why these kids are so tired. Allow them to reach their full potential as they deserve. Raxa N Mother of SN\
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) For at least as long as I can remember, the world did not seem quite right to me. Objects in motion, such as a ball – would often appear as if they were headed straight for my face, even if that wasn’t where they were headed. If multiple people were talking at once in a crowded room, I wouldn’t hear voices so much as white noise. And physical coordination was especially challenging, ranging from performing arts and crafts to merely standing still for a few minutes. And that’s not to mention other issues I had regarding the perception of textures, temperature, or time… but, for the most part, I was able to make my way through life just fine by either powering through or avoiding the most ‘challenging’ situations. It took a car accident (or, really, two very similar car accidents within a year of each other) for me to realize that something was really wrong with the way I was perceiving things: I had heard of ‘sensory processing disorder’ in my late twenties, and the description fit me well enough – but I thought I was functioning well enough that I didn’t need to seek treatment. After half a year of bouncing between doctors in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, I was ultimately referred to a clinic to begin visual therapy in the winter of 2018. Visual therapy went smoothly enough, to the point that I was comfortable driving again by May 2018 and my visual processing is considered “normal” – but my other sensory issues persisted even with the visual therapy. So, after a test at Gallaudet placed my auditory processing skills somewhere in the low normal/borderline category (subtest scores ranged from 5th to 37th percentile), I ended up consulting with four different therapy offices (not counting the visual therapy) to deal with various aspects of my sensory processing issues. One of those four was the Hear Express Learn Process office of Dr. Kavita Kaul, whose therapeutic methods focus on auditory processing – but extend to other aspects of sensory processing. I began meeting with her a year ago – in April 2020. Thanks to the pandemic, all of the sessions (except for a few rounds of testing) were remote: as Richmond is 90 miles south of me, the remote sessions made regular therapy actually possible for me! Very early on, Dr. Kaul realized something that explained a lot: I had spent most of my life compensating for many of my sensory processing issues with cognitive skills – and, likewise, if I was focusing on a task that was very demanding in terms of sensory processing, many other things – such as posture, eye contact, and tone of voice, would go by the wayside. So even if I could ultimately end up understanding what others were saying, people would get the vague perception that something was not quite right with me! Over the next seven months, I worked on several skills with Dr. Kaul: phonemic recognition (there were a few sounds, such as ‘l’, that I was struggling with), understanding speech in the presence of noise (the main reason I had come to her in the first place), and localizing sounds in space (i.e. was this sound to your left or to your right?) At the beginning of my time with Dr. Kaul, I was unable to perform certain localization tasks at all (for example, if I heard one number in my left ear and another number in my right hear, I could identify both numbers – but could not tell which one was in my left and which was my right). But through a series of graduated exercises, paired with musical listening therapy to help prime my ears, I was ultimately able to succeed in this type of localization. In November, it was time for another round of tests to measure my progress, and by then nearly all of my auditory skills were near-normal or better. Between November and now, my training with her shifted again: listening training would address my final remaining auditory deficits (processing sound in the presence of noise, and focusing on words in a specific direction in the presence of louder noise in other directions) and I would also practice various movement exercises to help with my coordination and my non-auditory processing. As of now, I feel confident that my auditory processing has improved significantly: I have a much easier time hearing words in the presence of noise, as well as guessing the location of what I hear. I still have issues with general sensory processing – including physical coordination, as well as the stuff with textures, temperatures, and time – but at least neither visual nor auditory processing are immediate concerns. WM (adult experience)
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) I knew when my daughter was having difficulty with phonemic awareness (rhyming and blending letter sounds) in kindergarten and first grade that there was something that was holding her back, but I couldn’t figure it out nor could the school help me figure out her what was the cause of her difficulty other than she was just delayed. She had received speech services since she was three, but as she progressed through her academic career she seemed to be declining instead of improving. As she entered into second grade her reading skills continued to frustrate her that at this point caused her to have no self-worth when it came to academics especially reading and writing. Often at times she would have temper tantrums out of frustration which also caused her to not have friends or participate in any extracurricular activities. Just as she started third grade, we found Dr. Kaul. After the initial evaluation I was relieved to find a diagnosis of APD and help for my daughter. The start of the therapy was not pleasant, my daughter was just as frustrated as in class, but as she progressed with the therapy my daughter could see the benefit and it transformed her to a successful student and an avid reader. She now is excited that she is going to see Dr. Kaul and can’t wait until she goes again. She is reading at grade level in fourth grade and is constantly reading at home and asking for more books. She enjoys school and learning. She is also participating in extracurricular activities. She has transformed back into the happy, loving child who is enjoying life again. As a parent and educator, I wish everyone who has child with a learning difficulty because of APD can find the support and services to help their child become successful. I know without Dr. Kaul my child would not be as successful as she is today. I cannot thank Dr. Kaul enough for the support and dedication she has offered to my child. Thanks to Dr Kaul’s weekly APD therapy, my once struggling daughter (PL) is now steadily progressing in her reading and able to focus better in school. Dr Kaul’s positivity and encouraging attitude helps motivate my daughter to work hard and she loves going each week. I don’t know what we would do without Dr Kaul!
Practitioner- Elizabeth D’Souza-capdclinic@outlook.com- Connecticut For many years I had gotten my hearing checked and I was repeatedly told my hearing was normal for a “person my age I did some research and found a wonderful audiologist, Elizabeth d’Souza, who took the time to listen to my concerns, gathered background information and did extensive testing. She said that I had CAPD and binaural integration issues. It was so nice to have someone who had the expertise and knowledge to find out what I had been struggling with for a lifetime. She recommended the https://www.neurotone.com/lace-interactive-listening-program” LACE program and the www.capdots.com CAPDOTS program The LACE program was helpful for me; Even thought I have taught many children with hearing loss, it was nice for me to learn the things that I should say and do when I am in a situation that I am not hearing well, Self- advocacy was something that I had never practiced as a listener. The CAPDOTS program was so interesting. Very incremental and easy to use. I really didn’t know if it was working, but I kept doing the lessons. When I was a little more than halfway through the lessons, our band had a practice night. We were playing new songs and there were a lot of wrong notes being played. In the past, I would have been so mad, cringing at every off tone. This time, there was NO CLASH! Honestly, there was no car crash in my brain. I was so excited that I actually looked forward for someone to play a wrong note because I was fascinated to hear that as “just sound”. I guess that’s what other people hear all of the time! That wrong note carried no pain, no negative effect on me. Simply amazing. Weeks later, I was working on my training. I learned that if I listened really hard with my left ear, my right ear would just fill in and I could pass the lessons better. Then one day, I heard them both equally! I didn’t have to work so hard to hear one ear and the other. They had the same power. It was like there was a “power of togetherness” in my ears/brain. Another aha moment. Is this how people hear all of the time? Less effort yet powerfully together? Amazing! My follow up audiology appointment showed significant progress in all areas. I am so pleased with the results. I cannot stress the importance of finding the right doctor, Luckily, I found Elizabeth. She listened to my concerns and validated my deficits with the appropriate evaluation tools. She gave me amazing programs to help make new connections in my brain and the results were life changing
https://jackkatzphd.com/ Dr. Katz Thank for your help with John. You and your therapy have made such a difference in his life. Yesterday we were talking about how the school assembly went and John told me, in great detail, all about what the speaker had said. Prior to your auditory processing therapy, loud activities such as an all-school assembly really bothered John and gave him a headache from the noise. He dreaded them actually. We talked about how practicing to listening to words in noise with you meant that he could do that task better in school, which means that he could understand the speaker better in an assembly. John said, “I think Dr. Katz saved my life.” I asked him what he meant and John said, “Dr. Katz taught me things that make life so much easier. I think he changed how my life is going and 4th grade is going to be my best Thank you for sharing your time and talents. You made all of the difference for my child
(Practioner- Maryann Kaminsky Richmond VA) (Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) As a family, we believe the therapy was a critical for R so we are excited you are educating others. After finishing the Capdot program with Maryann, R started 5th grade. She did ok academically but still had difficulty staying organized. She had a hard time recalling what happened during school. Socially, she continued to prefer running and playing with boys versus sitting with groups of girls during recess. She always enjoyed reading and now is able to stay focused and finish books as opposed to starting several books and not getting through them. Now, she is in the middle of 6th grade and is doing well. She still sits at the edge of the second row in class. This helps her focus. She is better organized with her homework. Her speech has become less pressured and clearer. Recently for class, she had to recite the Gettysburg Address by memory and did a fine job. Her recall of school days is more accurate. Prior, when she could not recall, she filled in her gaps with what she thought happened. As this improves, we see that friendships are developing. I now see that when she was “filling in her memory gaps” with imagination, her peers were hearing lies. In their young minds, this made her not trustworthy. As R grows in this area and her peers grow as well, I see this changing. She still has a hard time in loud situations (dances, basketball games) but has developed a better tolerance. She has told us that playing team sports is hard so she plays tennis for the school team. She recently started musical theater classes and seems to be enjoying that. Overall, she is doing great. She is a happy, active, and engaged 6th grader. She is developing strong study habits. She is growing friendships. Thank you both for making the diagnosis, teaching her skills, and helping us advocate for her.
(Practioner- Maryann Kaminsky Richmond VA) (Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) Our first comment is that when a parent is in a situation knowing your child needs support, it is incredibly helpful to have a speech-language therapist and audiologist be willing to work together. It opened up the lines of communication, leading to a more thorough assessment and then determination of a treatment plan. It’s also important to note the great value we saw in adding the visual piece to the mix. We believe the vision therapy was instrumental in the approach along with the speech and auditory work. The biggest change we see in J is his confidence. We notice that he is very engaged verbally with the boys in his grade. And although he sometimes needs a prompt with an adult, J will now look someone in the eye and respond. No more does he refuse to answer. We see this especially when he orders in a restaurant. We can’t remember the last time he refused to order his own food! We continue to work with Joseph’s homeroom teacher encouraging him to raise his hand voluntarily in class. However, he has no problem responding when his teacher asks him a question directly
(Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA )My daughter has made significant improvement in her ability to differentiate and isolate sounds since she began seeing Dr. Kaul. She has also improved by 3 reading levels since she began therapy with Dr. Kaul just a few months ago, which has really helped her confidence in reading. My daughter doesn’t get frustrated as easily with difficult multi-step processing and short-term memory tasks, which has made a huge impact on her willingness to complete academic work, both at school and at home. Her stamina for reading and phonetic work has also increased. Dr. Kaul and auditory processing therapy has made an enormous positive impact on my daughter! KD mother of LL
https://jackkatzphd.com/ Dr. Katz “Mary” has really blossomed under the care of Dr. Katz. She is becoming more and more engaged on a daily basis. She is interested in what Mom is doing and now wants to be noticed and included. She takes pride in her work and asks for praise. Her words are coming more and more. She is becoming confident in her reading as well. Everyone in the family has noticed the change in Mary. We are so blessed to have Dr. Katz’s help. Our blessing from the Lord. Dr. Katz has been a true gift. His life is very inspiring, and his knowledge and caring heart continues to help others succeed. He will always have a special place in our hearts.

Dr Katz says, “Actually, Mom deserves some the credit. I was concerned that a child with such severe auditory difficulty would have to sit on my waiting list for months before there was an opening for her, so I gave her mother things she could work on, at home, that would also speed up the therapy program. Mom did a diligent job and continues to help out as needed. She has told me in the past how nicely Mary was doing, but was gushing last session and today (7^th session), so I asked her to jot it down to encourage other parents needing auditory processing help for their children.”

Parent testimonial following APD therapy with Dr. Katz

23. (Practitioner: Rachel Cohen, AuD., CCC-A., Cert. LSLS AVEd.) My son is 6. He was a typical child struggling through kindergarten after missing much of pre-k, secondary to Covid lock-downs. However, half way through the year the teachers realized he wasn’t just struggling but not making any gains in reading and writing. Our school recommended Dr Rachel Cohen to test for auditory processing disorder. After initial testing it was confirmed that his ears and his brain were not working symbiotically. So as parents, we decided to move forward with intervention. Dr Rachel worked with my son once a week for 15 weeks. The gains were immediate noticed. He became excited to learn. He wouldn’t get anxious when sounding words out. And at the end of the treatment he was reading!!!!
Dr Rachel was so wonderful with my son. She is very caring and made my son very comfortable. She was always very accessible if I had any questions or concerns. She was on Good Neighbor Podcast recently which was awesome! I highly recommend her!!!!

24. (Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA ) Parent her daughter’s progress in therapy. Oh my goodness!!! So much success! Some nights after we’ve done your homework and she is in bed I cry because I remember where she once was and how hopeless I felt. We are seeing improvement everywhere! Therapy with you is the best decision I could have made for her. It just seems that she is taking off in so many areas! I’m so appreciative of you and the work that you do…

25. (Practitioner- Dr. Kavita Kaul Richmond VA )

Kavita,

I have written a parent testimony for your website and I was quite happy to do it. You have helped them so much and I thank you.

Both of my children had therapy with Kavita Kaul for their inability to absorb what others were saying. They had a very hard time particularly when there was any noise around them like a crowd of talking people or music playing. Kavita helped them strengthen their ability to understand what people were saying when the world wasn’t able to be silent. This also helped them retained what was said to them when it was quiet too. My son, who was nine at the time, showed amazing improvement within eight months. He wasn’t the quiet guy lost when a conversation was happening around him anymore, instead he was keeping up with what people were saying and talking. Turns out he wasn’t quiet after all but a confident talker. My daughter, who was 12 at the time, didn’t show quick improvement like my son, instead she improved at a steady pace that took more time. Kavita helped them with their auditory processing disorder and their reading improved quite a bit. Since they could understand what people were saying their confidence went up and so did their ability to make friends and improved the overall quality of their life. (PR and JR)

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