AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER DEFINED:
The individual with an auditory processing disorder/delay (APD) has difficulty listening to or comprehending auditory information despite having normal peripheral hearing sensitivity. APD may be defined as a reduced or impaired ability to discriminate, recognize, or comprehend auditory information. This problem will be most pronounced when the auditory signals are compromised by distortion, competition, poor acoustic environments, or other reduction in signal clarity, strength, or information content. In other words, the APD individual will experience greater problems when the acoustic environment is less than ideal such as in an open classroom or when the signal is poor due to interference, intensity, or content.

AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER DEFINED:

1. Auditory Awareness/Attention - the ability to be aware that a sound source is present in the environment, localize to that sound and then attend to the sound source for a period of time is the foundation of auditory development. If it is difficult for someone to attend to auditory stimuli, the next levels of auditory maturation will be slow to develop. This area also includes the ability to understand speech stimuli in an environment that is compromised by background noise, where the person has to attend to the main stimulus and not the background noise. The inability to attend to auditory information can be dependent on maturity, individuality, learning style and neurological development.
2. Auditory Memory - the ability to recall auditory information in the form of environmental sounds, syllables, words, numbers, sentences and directions. This area includes immediate recall of the information as well as retention of the information over time. This skill area is important so that auditory experiences can be stored to assist with future discrimination and cognitive tasks.
3. Auditory Discrimination - begins with the ability to distinguish the difference between sounds in general, starting with the gross discrimination of environmental sounds and working up to the ability to detect phonemic differences in words. School-age children should be able to discriminate specific phonemes as well as to perceive if words are the same or different. This area is important for the development of spelling and reading skills.
4. Auditory Fusion - the ability to organize, process and interpret auditory information. This is a higher-level task that is dependent on the development of the preceding levels. One needs to be able to take in the information, organize and interpret it so an appropriate response or action is produced. This skill area is important for making inferences, summarizing information, interpreting step directions, thinking and reasoning, and note-taking.

COMMON SIGNS OF AN AUDITORY PROCESSING PROBLEM:

• History of multiple ear infections
• Difficulty understanding verbal information
• Difficulty following directions
• Difficulty with spelling and reading
• Difficulty with social interactions
• Difficulty with sound discrimination
• Difficulty with auditory memory tasks
• Difficulty understanding speech when background noise is present
• Displays slow or delayed responses to verbal information

AREAS TO CONSIDER WHEN IDENTIFYING CHILDREN WITH AN APD:

1. History of childhood ear infections and/or hearing loss. When a child has a history of ear infections as an infant/toddler there is a great chance he/she spent a majority of that time with fluid in his/her middle-ear space. When this occurs, the individual's hearing ability is reduced, which can diminish the auditory stimulus the brain receives and hinder development/maturation of the auditory system.
   
2. Food allergies. Allergies to dietary elements can be a big factor in brain function and performance. The main food allergens are dairy, wheat, corn, and sugar. A body's reaction to an allergy can occur in various ways, such as; fluid in the middle ear, hyper behavior, depressed behavior, mood swings, lethargy, or congestion. Allergies can also affect the brain by hindering it from performing or functioning optimally.
   
3. Nutrition. The whole body needs a well-rounded dietary intake in order to function to its highest potential. The diet needs to be rich in protein, vitamins and minerals (fruits and vegetables). Essential fatty acids are also an important element in the diet to help the brain function. A deficit in these appropriate nutrients could hinder performance.
   
4. Limited stimulus or inputs. During the first three years of life it is important for children to be stimulated with auditory inputs to help the auditory neural pathway to develop. If a child is raised in an environment where auditory stimulation (music, talking, environmental sounds) is minimal, there is a chance his/her auditory system could be delayed in processing auditory information as the child grows. This problem isoften seen in children who had complications at birth, because they spent an extended period of time in the hospital or even hooked up to life-supporting machines for a majority of their first year or two of life.
   
5. Genetics. History of APD or a learning disability in the family.

HOME AND CLASSROOM SUGGESTIONS :

• Decrease background noise - fans, venting, etc.
• Decrease noise distractions - outside noise, hallway noise, and other group noise (put tennis balls on bottom of chairs to eliminate noise from chair sliding on non-carpeted floor).
• Preferential seating - away from windows and doors; preferabley in front of class so the rest of the class is behind the student - not as much potential for distractions, plus the student will have better access to visual cues and facial expressions from the presenter.
• Room acoustics - rooms should be carpeted, have curtains, bulletin boards and material to absorb sounds rather than have high reverberation. High reverberation in a room will make it difficult for the student to comprehend the spoken information.
• Auditory trainer - not for everyone. In some states, children have to have a minimum PTA of 20 dB to be eligible; there will probably not be funding for a FM system for children with APD. It might be possible to do a trial to prove it is beneficial.
• Sound field system - especially for the younger classrooms. This is an FM system where the teacher wears a microphone, and speakers are placed strategically around the classroom to help give the spoken stimulus a boost over the background noise.
• Multi-modality cues and hands-on learning - These children usually learn better with visual or kinesthetic information so present new information in a way that would be easier for them to process. Write reminder notes and assignments on the board.
• Prior information - Give new information and vocabulary to the child before class so the child has time to look over the information before it is presented to the class.
• Structured schedule - The child should know the schedule for the day to assist him/her in making transitions. Try to have a routine. This will decrease some of the demand for memory and listening.
• Repeat or restate directions or assignments - The teachers may need to wait for a response, and then restate the direction. This can be done for the whole class; there is no need to point out the individual child .
• Expressive communication - Be very expressive in presenting auditory information. It may be easier for the child to hear if the voice has different intonations. Use expressive, non-verbal cues.
• Constructive correcting - Correct the child as part of a conversation. If they misunderstand and, restate the direction constructively.