Auditory Processing Disorder

1. Auditory Processing Disorder • Definition: • Central auditory processing disorder • 5% of school aged children • An adversity in the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, most notably the sounds composing speech. • Struggles with subtle differences in sounds in words.

2. Symptoms • Easily distracted or bothered by loud or sudden noises. • Gets discombobulated in noisy, busy environments. • Behaviors and performance improves in quieter setting. • Child has reading, spelling, writing and other speech and language difficulties. • Disorganized and forgetful. • Has hard time following conversations.

3. Educational Needs for students with APD • Pure sound work • Quiet environments • Work on discrepancies between sounds. • Slower conversations • Clear pronunciations • Phonemic awareness

11. Different Types of Problems connected to Auditory Processing • Auditory Figure-Ground Problems-child cannot pay attention with noise in the background. • Auditory Memory Problems-Child cannot remember information. Can’t call up information from long term and sometimes short term memory.

12. Auditory Discrimination Problems-cannot discriminate between words or sounds that are similar. • Auditory Cohesion Problems- Higher level listening tasks are difficult. Cannot draw inferences from conversations.

13. How to Help students with Auditory Processing Issues • Auditory Figure-Ground Problems-child cannot pay attention with noise in the background. • Reduce Background Noise • Assistive Technologies- • Noise Cancelling Headphones, • Focused earphones with ipad or computer work.

14. Use simple and expressive words and sentences and clear directions • Apps for phonetic development “check your phonics” • Apps of basic vocabulary • “Fry Words” • Apps for Listening to Directions • “More Fun with Directions Lite”

15. Technologies to help discriminate sounds • Auditory Discrimination Problems-cannot discriminate between words or sounds that are similar. • Apps for Ipad such as “Ease lite” • Clarity in Ipad voice • Settings-general-accessibility-speak selection-speaking rate

16. Speak at a slower rate and increased volume • Assistive Technology- Livescribe Pen with a recording device with modified pace and volume of recorded speech. • Ipador Tablet with volume control and pace of speech control in accessories.

17. Help with Organizational Tools. • Apps for organization. • Online tools such as Microsoft Outlook for help. • Computer and Apps for graphic organizers and concept maps such as: Contacts, Reminders, and Notes on the front page of the Ipad; Evernote, Any.Do, Autism Pro,

18. Good Eating and Sleeping Habits- • life skill and nutrition apps

19. Alter Seating plans • Apps for seating arrangements and behavior. • App examples include: • LessonNote • CME

20. Auditory Memory Problems-Child cannot remember information. Can’t call up information from long term and sometimes short term memory • Memory building Apps for computer, tablets or Ipods for building short and long term memory. • Brain school, brain trainer, and fit brains • Livescribe Pens for reviewing material. • Speech to Text Apps such as: • Dragon Naturally, dragon dictation, voice dream reader, Speak it