Auditory Processing Disorder

1. Auditory Processing Disorder Jessica Thomson Speech Pathologist Brindabella Hearing Centre

2. Auditory processing Vs. Language Processing • 1. Acoustic/auditory processing • Receive and transfer signal • Audiologist • 2. Phonemic Processing • Discriminate sound segments in the signal • Audiologist and Speech Pathologist • 3 Linguistic processing • Attach meaning to the signal • Speech Pathologist

3. Therapy options for APD Phonemic Training Program • Focuses on improving an individuals phonemic knowledge • Decoding the individual sounds heard in speech

4. Therapy options for APD:Fast ForWords • A neuroscience program that increases the brains learning capacity through the following principles: • Memory: working short term memory and long term memory which are essential for word recognition, comprehension and remembering instructions • Attention: the ability to focus on information and tasks and ignore distractions

5. Fast Forword • Processing speed: The rate at which we are able to process incoming information (distinguishing speech sounds and identify letters and words to create meaning) • Sequencing: The ability to determine the order of letters within words or words within sentences

6. Fast ForWord • Reading and language skills strengthened by Fast forWord include: Phonemic awareness Syntax Sound - letter associations Comprehension Decoding Grammatical structures Vocabulary Passage comprehension Spelling Reading fluency

7. Therapy options for APD Metacognitive Therapies • Taking action to improve signal to noise ratios • Lip reading skills • Learning to utilise body language and gesture to aide comprehension • Taking action to aide memory (e.g. note taking)

8. Therapy options for APD Metacognitive therapies • ‘chunking’ important information together • Pulling out salient words to aide in recall • Checking back to confirm comprehension • Establishing a good listening set (e.g. reduce background noise)

9. Therapy options for APD Metacognitive Therapies • Supplementing verbal directions with gestures to help commit them to memory • Visualising • Verbal rehearsal (e.g. repeating information to commit to memory)

10. Therapy options for APD Metalinguistic approaches • Segmentation (analysis and synthesis) • Auditory closure (using semantic, syntactic and/or morphology of language to reorganise and process auditory info) • Multiple word meanings • Antonyms/synonyms

11. Therapy options for APD Metalinguistic approaches • Homophones • Context derived vocabulary • Inference • Grammatical Closure • Prosody of Speech

12. Therapy options for APD Receptive and expressive language therapy • Comprehension skills of verbal information: • Asking/answering /wh/ questions • Barrier games (listening to/following verbal instructions) • Paragraph comprehension (listening to stories and paraphrasing information)

13. Auditory Processing Disorder • Take home message: • There is no ‘quick fix’ • There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution • Different aspects of each therapy approach may be incorporated into a single comprehensive intervention program. • Individuals with APD require comprehensive assessment and a intervention program modeled specifically for each individuals needs

14. References • Bellis, T.J., (2003). Assessment and management of central auditory processing disorders in the educational setting from science to practice (2nd ed). Thomson learning Inc. Canada. • www.fastforword.com.au • Geffner, D., & Ross-Swain, D. (2007). Auditory processing disorders: Assessment management and treatment. Plural Publishing Inc, CA (USA)

15. Contact details Jessica Thomson Speech Pathologist Brindabella Hearing Centre Phone: (02) 6281 2311 Email: jthomson@brindabellahearing.com.au Located at: Level 2, Suite 7 Clinical Services Building Calvary John James Hospital 173 Strickland Crescent Deakin, ACT