Auditory Processing
What is Auditory Processing?
Auditory Processing is the human brain's ability to use information it receives through the ears, a complicated process that involves much more than just "listening."
Auditory Processing Disorder (sometimes called central auditory processing disorders) are difficulties in processing the information carried by audible signals (sounds). Auditory processing disorders are not due to impairment of peripheral hearing or intelligence.
Peripheral Hearing is the ability to process auditory information from the time it reaches the outer ear until it enters the brain. It is often measured only by pure tone screening tests performed by nurses or technicians in schools or pediatricians' offices. For this familiar hearing screening test, the nurse asks children to wear earphones, listen to pure tones produced by an audiometer, and indicate when they hear the tones. Comprehensive evaluation of the peripheral hearing system can be completed by an audiologist.
A child can have "normal hearing" when tested in this way and still have an auditory processing disorder in which incoming auditory messages can be distorted or "lost" in the brain.
Common Characteristics of Auditory Processing Disorders
- Easily distracted by background noise.
- Doesn't follow oral directions well, especially if they are complex and have to be carried out some time later.
- Has problems recalling names, dates, times, and other information.
- Has poor memory for numbers, letters, words, and other information that is heard.
- Has difficulty with directions, especially if they are complex, lengthy, presented in a noisy background or to be carried out some time later.
- Asks for statements to be repeated.
- Is slow to respond to questions or directions.
- Gives inappropriate answers to simple questions.
- Has difficulty interpreting abstract information.
- Has poor musical abilities.
- Is slow to respond to questions or directions.
- Has difficulty with verbal math problems.
- Shows unusual reaction to sudden or loud sounds.
- Has difficulty identifying the source or location of a sound.
- Is easily distracted by noises.
- Performs better in one-to-one settings.
(Kelly, D.A., 1995)
CAPD Modifications & Treatment Strategies
Children with CAPD and articulation disorders may need a lot of work with phonemic awareness skills. Here are a list of things you can do both at home and in the classrooms:
1) Place cups in front of the child with the target phonemes written on each cup. When you say a work or "silly syllable," the child must toss a bean into the cup for which s/he hears the phoneme.
2) Use "minimal pairs" to teach the child the difference a sound makes! Minimal pairs are two words that differ by only one phoneme (ie: fat and sat, light and white, sight and tight).
3) Tap or clap out syllables.
4) Count the sounds in a word. For example, "sat" has 3 sounds, "make" has 3, "two" has 2, etc.
5) Rhyming is a great phonemic awareness skill. Name or even draw things that rhyme with ________________________. (Cutting pictures out of catalogs and magazines is also great for this!)
© Kelly Kirchmar-Heger, MA, CCC-SLP, 1993-2011
