Auditory processing disorder
- 1. By: Emily Kuo August 1, 2010
- 2. Definition Auditory Processing : the ability to “structure the auditory world and select those sounds that are immediately pertinent to adjustment” (Chalfant&schefelin, 1969) Dysfunction in recognizing and interpreting sounds and its meaning to the brain. Word deafness
- 3. Background Theorists say that sensory perception is located in an isolated part of the brain- that is possibly in the Sylvian margin of the temporal lobe where auditory analysis occur
- 4. Music can help! From Northwestern University’s study, playing a musical instrument can increase the brain stem’s sensitivity to speech sound Music experience at young age increases effectiveness of auditory system.
- 5. What is the cause of APD? Exact cause is unknown It is a neurological problem that may be inherited or caused by birth defect or injury APD often in conjunction with dyslexia, attention deficit, autism, autism spectrum disorder, specific language impairment, or developmental delay
- 6. Characteristics Children with APD have difficulty hearing both vowel sounds or the soft consonant sounds E.g. “blue” mistaken for “ball,” or “ball” for “bell” Difficulty understanding spoken language Rate of processing is slower Information stored in short-term memory but not long term memory
- 7. Characteristics (cont.) Person with APD often mistaken for inattention- inability to isolate sound from background sounds Difficulty in remembering oral directions or sequence of events Person with APD may have to habitually ask that questions or directions be repeated
- 8. General Characteristics of Child with APD Inattention and poor listening skills Remembering information presented orally Inability to follow multistep directions Low academic performance Poor expressive or receptive language Behavior problems Easily distracted Delays in responding to questions and instructions Often misunderstand directions or instructions
- 9. Strategies for Educators APD students are helped in special education but also included in general education classes Present information visually (e.g. demonstrations) Student should sit where eye contact with teacher can be made and asked to repeat back directions to make sure they understand
- 10. More Strategies Use gestures to reinforce key points Use chalkboard, overhead projector, charts, or illustrations. Provide hand out with keypoints and summary Tape recorder to be used to later re-listen Encourage to apply visual skills to creative writing