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Auditory Processing |
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What
is Central Auditory Processing?
An
auditory processing disorder reflects difficulty
processing information at the brainstem and cortical
levels. It is the inability or impaired ability
to attend to, discriminate, recognize, remember
or comprehend information presented auditorily.
This is not a disorder affecting the ear canals,
middle ear, cochlea or auditory nerve. Auditory
processing disorders may result in learning problems
because of difficulty listening and understanding
what is heard. What
are behaviors / symptoms of a Central Auditory
Processing Disorder?
• Says “huh”
or “what?” frequently
• Gives inconsistent responses to auditory
stimuli
• Often misunderstands what is said
• Constantly requests that information
be repeated
• Has poor auditory attention
• Is easily distracted
• Has difficulty following directions
• Has difficulty listening in the presence
of background noise
• Has difficulty with phonics and speech
sound discrimination
• Has poor auditory memory
• Gives slow or delayed response to verbal
stimuli
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Has reading, spelling and other academic problems
• Learns poorly through auditory channel
• Exhibits behavior problems
How can I find out if
my child has auditory processing deficits?
Audiologists and speech pathologists
can help you determine if your child has auditory
processing problems. Audiologists perform a
test battery to uncover central processing function
abilities while speech pathologists assess the
functional communication areas affected by the
disorder and develop and implement treatment
plans.
My child has trouble
following directions. Is it because he / she
is “lazy”, or is there something
else involved?
Children generally have a desire
to please their parents and teachers. Children
will tend to “shut down”, however,
if tasks are frequently too difficult, too boring,
or if they have repeated difficulty understanding
what is said. Ask your child’s teachers
if the problem interferes with successful classroom
experiences. Your child should be evaluated
by a qualified speech pathologist if you suspect
auditory processing problems and undergo educational
assessments if there are academic concerns.
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