Are you as surprised as me to learn that Central Auditory Processing Disorder is NOT a classified disability in Virginia and therefore our public schools do not have to accomodate our children with this hearing disorder?

Are you up against a long drawn out wall at your child's school because no one else understands what your Doctor has diagnosed your child with?

Are you tired of your child playing alone on the playground because he or she can not 'hear' any better outside with 200 kids playing all at once than they can in a small group of 6 inside?

Our children deserve a voice of resaon to define how this hearing disorder impacts their entire daily life and what the adults who are teaching them should be held accountable to do to help guide them through this very confusing time.

We, the parents of children with CAPD have a real resposibility to bring to the forefront the realities of this disorder not only for our children but their teachers who know nothing about this rather newly discovered disability and the major impact it has on a child socially, emotionally and educationally.

I believe our tax dollars should pay for all services needed or recommended by the National Institute of Health for children with this disability and my intentions with this group is to begin a swell of support to challenge our legislatures to reconsider their position presently on excluding CAPD from their list of recognized disabilities.

Of course I realize I am trying to do this in a state where it's capitol city denied up-grading their outdated elementary schools with handicap accessibility. However, I do not believe I can go through this with my child without knowing that I am also trying to make changes for all the other children in Virginia who are struggling with CAPD. Virginia needs to step up and follow the footsteps of the majority of States and put Central Auditory Processing Disorder on their state list of recognized disabilities immediately.