Auditory PRocessing

What is
auditory processing?

Auditory Processing is a natural process of taking in sound through the ear and having it travel to the language area of the brain to be interpreted. To have a breakdown in this process is called an auditory processing disorder or “delay”. This deficit is present despite having normal hearing. Auditory processing is "what our brain does with what the ear hears". When one is faced with an auditory processing deficit, their ears can pick up the sounds, words, etc., but their brain is not able to process the sounds properly -- the auditory information becomes jumbled up or confused and therefore, misunderstood.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) may be defined as a reduced or impaired auditory processing 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 individual with APD 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.

Signs of an
Auditory processing disorder:

  • 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 with background noise
  • Displays slow or delayed responses to verbal information
  • Hard time reading phonetically, doesn't  sound out words​
  • Spelling is easier by visually memorizing the words
  • Socially might not be able to relate to peers – may not have many friends or often in disagreements, because of misunderstandings​
  • May often seem confused, not knowing what to do in the classroom
  • Performs better when the environment is quiet
  • Hard time completing homework and/or tests
  • Disorganized
  • Clumsy/uncoordinated

SIGNS OF AN 
AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER:

  • 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 with background noise
  • Displays slow or delayed responses to verbal information
  • Hard time reading phonetically, doesn't  sound out words​
  • Spelling is easier by visually memorizing the words
  • Socially might not be able to relate to peers – may not have many friends or often in disagreements, because of misunderstandings​
  • May often seem confused, not knowing what to do in the classroom
  • Performs better when the environment is quiet
  • Hard time completing homework and/or tests
  • Disorganized
  • Clumsy/uncoordinated

Complete a
Symptoms Check

If you or a loved one is struggling to discriminate, recognize, or comprehend auditory information, or if you suspect his or her hearing isn't what it should be, A Chance To Grow's Audiology Services may be the perfect wellness therapy for you. Please fill out our Symptoms Checklist to help us learn a little bit more about your current situation. ​
​Because we believe auditory processing is part of the whole person, we will refer you or your child to the following services at A Chance To Grow if appropriate: Vision Services, Neurofeedback Services and AVE, Occupational Therapy or ​Speech-Language Pathology.
What our clients say 
"In the last week we have noticed much more of our son’s sense of humor. Some of his observations are right on target and very funny. I don’t always enjoy all of his comments but a lot of his speech is clearer and the other people around us can understand more of what he says than they used to be able to. It’s great that he is able to express himself better even if I don’t always enjoy it. We are thankful that the JIAS program is available and we are able to use it with our son. Thank you!" - Father of client

Visit our Success Stories page and see what else our clients say about us!

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