T Many times, we see kids who, even with clear instructions, seem a bit confused. They often get upset, not really understanding what adults tell them. We might first think it's a speech or behaviour problem.
In preschool, they may suggest speech therapy. They do well in therapy, but still, they don't talk or interact like other kids their age. And by second grade, their reading is a bit behind.
What's going on? It might be Auditory Processing Disorder. Here are some signs parents can look for and what to do next.
What is Auditory Processing Disorder(APD)?
Auditory processing is about how the brain processes spoken words. Our ears hear sounds, but it is the job of our brain to understand them. Many children with APD pass regular hearing tests because these tests only check if they can hear, not how well they understand. Imagine hearing a song clearly but not understanding the lyrics. That's the daily challenge for children with APD.
Let’s look at some of the symptoms.
Children with APD face challenges while interpreting and understanding sounds. This disorder can appear in early months of childhood and progress with their age. Here are key symptoms to watch for:
Early Signs: Babies might be more quiet than usual, not babbling by 6 months or not responding to their name by 12 months. Ear Issues: Experiencing frequent ear infections or fluid behind the eardrum.
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From the Director’s Desk The Silent Challenge of Listening by Dr. Preeti Jain
Speech Difficulties: As they grow, some children might struggle with clear speech and might be recommended to see a speech therapist. Noise Sensitivity: They may find it hard to focus in noisy environments or when multiple conversations occur at once. Memory Challenges: Difficulties in recalling spoken information, like instructions or details from a conversation. Sound Discrimination: Problems identifying between similar sounds, often confusing words like "bat" and "pat."
Auditory Processing Disorder Test and Diagnosis
APD can only be diagnosed by an audiologist who specializes in testing for auditory processing weaknesses. This testing is complex and spans several hours, so most evaluators require the child to be at least 7 years old. The test can help detect which what to do next. Auditory skills a child is having trouble with and specialists can recommend.
Auditory Processing Disorder and ADHD
Often, teachers and parents think kids with APD have ADHD because they're easily distracted and struggle with instructions or reading. However, ADHD treatments might not help. The reason? With APD, kids might miss out on understanding words in noisy places. While some children can have both disorders, a key difference is kids with APD usually focus better in quiet areas with little background noise, whereas those with ADHD show the same challenges everywhere.
Ways Parents Can Help Strengthen Their Child's APD
Though there are online games and programs for training auditory discrimination, parents play a crucial role in enhancing their child's auditory abilities.Quick exercises, can make a difference. For example, a simple game like "How many words in a sentence?" starts by having them count words in phrases like "I like sports." As they get better, increase the word count in sentences. Another fun activity is the 'imaginary picnic' game. Begin with "I am bringing apples on a picnic," with each player adding an item and repeating the list. It helps to focus on individual words. Additionally, engage them in identifying sounds in words, like comparing the starting sound of "butterfly" and "basketball."
Don’t forget rhyming
games; they sharpen
their ability to
detect sound
nuances.