My Story
My supportive parents!My supportive boyfriend! WTR!i would not be where I am today without support and faith. My God, my parents, boyfriend, teammates, teachers and coaches have made all of this possible for me!
My supportive Coach!My team!
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Living with Central Auditory Processing DisorderI have been featured in the local newspaper many times throughout high school for my accomplishments in baton twirling. My story is not about baton twirling. Since 2007, I have been trying to raise awareness about speech and hearing disabilities. I have C.A.P.D. My story sounds much like a fable to most people. Ladle Rat Rotten Hut by H.L Chace, “Wants pawn term, dare worsted ladle gull hoe lift wetter murder inner ladle cordage, honor itch offer lodge dock florist. Disk ladle gull orphan worry ladle cluck wetter putty ladle rat hut, an fur disk raisin pimple colder Ladle Rat Rotten Hut” This is an example of what this story was like for me at the age of two. Of course, this doesn’t sound at all like the normal version of Little Red Riding Hood as you can tell and I’m not just typing random words either. Professor H.L Chace wrote this version in 1940 to show his students that “intonation - that is, the melody of a language - is an integral part of its meaning”. This version was shared with my parents in 1998 to illustrate the way a child with CAPD would process it when he or she was being read the familiar childhood fable. CAPD or Central Auditory Processing Disorder is like audio dyslexia. At the age of 2-1/2, I was diagnosed with this fairly unfamiliar auditory disorder. I could hear perfectly normal, but I couldn’t process the information I heard in the same way as everyone else does because my ears and my brain didn’t communicate well with each other. I sometimes describe it as a bad audio track on a television program, where the mouth and voice aren’t in sync. Most kids are not diagnosed until age 7 or 9. I was fortunate to have an early diagnosis. My parents took me to a speech therapist when I was 2 and she noticed that my speech development was delayed and I didn’t speak clearly at all. At first, she suspected that it was because I had a broken baby tooth. I had the tooth fixed, but the problem was still there. My parents then took me to an Audiologist to do some tests and that is when they learned that my hearing was just fine. It was somewhat a mystery why I could only say a few words. I mumbled and rambled verbally with “diddle diddle diddle” filling in sentences that were jumbled. Simple instructions seemed to be very hard for me to follow and sometimes completely impossible. A lot of people misunderstand CAPD and think it is ADHD or a form of Autism. I had a very hard time learning how to speak, how to listen and follow directions, how to read, and talk with friends and teachers. My parents were told that I would most likely not be able to enter a regular kindergarten program and that I would not have intelligent speech until maybe third grade because I had such a severe disorder. I was very blessed to have parents that didn’t give up. Our strong faith helped us as a family through this challenge. I had lots of encouragement from my teachers and resource people in the Valley View School district that helped me along the way too. I remember working very hard with my speech teacher, Ms. Dale. She had read about a few cases like mine and asked my parents if she could try some new software called EAROBICS with me. I was very young and it was hard work. I played this EAROBICS everyday and worked with her twice a week. She also recommended I take Suzuki piano lessons, swimming lessons, and start playing an individual sport of some kind. Ms. Dale was teaching me coping skills to deal with this uncommon disorder, because there wasn’t any medicine or cure for it. I did start piano, swimming and baton twirling at around 4 years old. I also loved to dance. I was able to enter a regular all day kindergarten at age 5, however the teachers and resource people at my elementary school were still convinced I was ADHD. Remember, CAPD is very hard for people to comprehend. Fortunately, I remained in a normal classroom, had an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) throughout elementary school and now I am an honor student. None of that was supposed to happen. I have won back to back regional baton twirling championships for 3 consecutive years. I am a pretty decent musician; playing piano, drums, and trombone. I won Miss Preteen Spokes Model for Will County also. I still dance and am in Pointe ballet. I am a Thespian and have been in three plays. I even was on Student Council and planned the Jr. Prom this past year at BHS! These things were most definitely not suppose to happen. Learning to cope with my CAPD diagnosis has been the most significant experience and accomplishment of my life so far. Now when my brain does not understand what I hear, I know what to do. I know how to handle it when I am surrounded by noises and cannot concentrate. I am thankful for it because it has made me appreciate so many things. As a student with CAPD, I shouldn’t be a third year percussionist for the BHS Symphonic Band or twirling with the Marching Raiders, playing Trombone in the Jazz Band, acting, dancing, performing, on the Honor Roll, or successfully doing one-on-one interviewing with judges at my twirling competitions. The doctors, therapists, and teachers thought it was impossible. I have become more than an average child with CAPD. Thankfully, this has not been just the average CAPD case for me. I am successfully overcoming my disorder everyday. So, "What are you doing out here, little girl?" the wolf asked. Beyond winning Jr. Olympic gold medals, being a Thespian performer, winning many baton twirling titles and competitions, and serving God, I hope to make a difference someday. I plan to work hard to raise awareness for CAPD so other kids get the diagnosis early. I am ready for college and I want to study hard and have a career in the Heath Communications and Sports Management field to achieve this goal. “There, there, child. You've learned an important lesson. Thank goodness you shouted loud enough for someone to hear you!" I am Nicola Mae Colucy, I have CAPD, and this is not a fable. It is my very true amazing story. “Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother had a nice lunch and a long chat.” Maybe you and I can chat someday soon and you can hear all about it yourself. I look forward to meeting you. For more information about (C)A.P.D.
http://www.asha.org/docs/html/TR2005-00043.html |