Auditory Processing

Dyslexia and Auditory Processing

Posted onAuthorMadeline Boss

What Is The Connection?

Do you ever feel like ‘Why doesn’t that kid listen to me?!’ There is a reason your child acts like they are not listening to you. They may also come across as if they are ignoring your command or getting only part of a multiple step request.

Many children with Dyslexia are slower at processing verbal information than typical readers. This is because over 50% of children with Dyslexia also have some Auditory Processing Disorder or weakness. Their ears work just fine, but they are slow to completely understand what is being said. They also:

  • Have difficulty understanding long sentences.
  • May act like they were not spoken to sometimes.
  • Whispers sentences as they write them.
  • Stops in the middle of reading a sentence and loses their spot easily.
  • Can sound out a word like ‘b-a-tt-le’ but fails to see the text is talking about a battle.
  • Has difficulty fusing syllables into whole words. Choppy reading and missing syllables. Example:  Reads ‘com-pre-hen-sion’ like ‘compression’.
  • Has to sound out simple site words over and over again.

Check out their Auditory Skills by giving them a multiple step command.  ‘Go upstairs, get your shoes and coat and come back down so we can leave’. They may hear the first step or the first and last step. They go upstairs and don’t come down. Or,  they go upstairs and come back down without their shoes or coat. As a result, parents get frustrated and feel the child is just not ‘listening’ to them. The truth is they hear it fine, but it does not process and sink in to meaning for them. Check out our list of other Symptoms of Dyslexia.

Can it Be Helped?

The good news is that you can help a child struggling with Auditory Processing and Dyslexia. My son improved much in his reading and comprehension when we did Auditory Processing Exercises with him about four times per week. And the best part is they are easy enough to do right at home. Get our List of Auditory Processing Types or learn more from our short Dyslexia Video Training.

Other Symptoms Affected By Auditory Processing?

  • It takes effort to get their attention.
  • Look straight at parents when being spoken to, but acts like they didn’t hear them.
  • Drops part of the steps of verbal instructions.
  • Struggles to hear the person speaking to them in a busy room.
  • Acts confused when asked to do something.
  • Easily agitated during longer conversations.
  • May have been taken for a hearing test with suspicion of a hearing impairment.
  • Gets offended easily by misreading sarcasm or inflection in others voices.
  • Has problem recalling information recited to them, like a phone number.
  • Cannot repeat something back word-for-word.
  • Or, can repeat instructions back perfectly, but does not comprehend them.
  • Has to whisper sentences as they write them.
  • Stops in the middle of reading a sentence and loses their spot easily.
  • May have articulation problems.
  • Stalls when trying to say simple words when speaking. Struggles to find the word to use.
  • Problems organizing words into a clear thought when speaking and writing.

How Does Auditory Affect Reading?

This is super frustrating to many parents that think their child is just ignoring them. Some even think their child has a hearing problem and takes them for additional hearing tests just to find out their ears work fine. As a result, they can get misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.

In addition to following commands, Auditory Processing has a big impact on a child’s ability to read fluently. It is not the child’s ability to hear, but to process the language coming through the ears to the brain in an efficient amount of time. It becomes more of a language processing problem for Dyslexic children. These problems go unnoticed for years. The child is tagged as lazy or slow to respond.

Therefore, they start school. But, without a firm foundation in language processing, it is very hard for them, when reading, to combine letters into words, then words into sentences, then sentences into meaning. This is part of the breakdown with reading fluent sentences and gaining comprehension of the story.

Auditory Processing Disorder

Posted onAuthorBritany Boss

Auditory Processing Disorder is a brain-based deficit. It is characterized by an insufficiency in the ability to process, remember and recall information received through both the ears and written language.  It can, and often, occurs in people with perfectly normal hearing. It is not a problem with the ears.

Does my child have Audio Processing Disorder?

It is not difficult to know which children have Audio Processing Disorder. It is usually quite evident if you know what to look for. A child with Audio Processing Disorder or APD will struggle with verbal instructions, especially if more than one step is dictated.

“Go to your room. Get your socks, your shoes and your jacket. Let’s go to the store”

They may walk into their room, struggle to recall the other commands, and begin playing with their toys. Then mom has to go find them. “Why didn’t you come back? Now get your socks and shoes so you can hop in the car”. They may go to their dresser and grab their socks, but stall after that or go straight to the car without their shoes.

As they enter school, they will start to struggle with processing the teacher’s multi-step commands. They may struggle with reading disabilities. They will grasp the sounds of the letters, but struggle when they have to sound out words with more complicated phonics. Auditory Processing Exercises are super beneficial to help this.

Because Audio Processing Disorder affects their storing and retrieving written language too, some develop reading disabilities and often get diagnosed with Dyslexia or Dyscalculia. Click here to read more about Auditory Processing Disorder Symptoms.

There is intervention

Auditory Processing Exercises are simple and can be done right at home. They are a great way to enhance Auditory Processing Skills. We also like to do Primitive Reflex Exercises to help eliminate the trouble makers.

If the child still struggles after these little interventions, see an Occupational Therapist.

 

Super Important Nutrients for APD

 

Lecithin and Fish Oil are very important nutrients for the brain. In fact, they are the building blocks for neurons. As you stimulate their brains to grow more connections, be sure it has the proper nutrients to do so. We give them to our children before or while they are doing the exercises.

It is important to make sure they Fish Oil is free of mercury and other contaminants. Our children love the Barlene’s brand Lemon Swirl flavored Fish Oil. It is guaranteed contaminant free and doesn’t have a fishy aftertaste. It is so good that they actually ask for more. It is a good little treat for finishing their exercises with you.

The Lecithin is just as easy to get down the pickiest kids. We buy it in ‘Lecithin Granules’ form and add it to the blender with some fruit and water. It doesn’t have a flavor, but blends well and makes the smoothie creamier. Kids love it.

Tip: I always buy super ripe bananas, peel them and freeze them. They add a lot of sweet flavor to any smoothie. Also, kids love straws. Mine drink it twice as fast with a straw.

Putting time in to make a difference in your child’s life is so rewarding when you see them start to do things they couldn’t previously do. Have fun with it, make it fun for them, and don’t push too hard. And enjoy this time with them.

 

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Learning Disabilities and How to Help!

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    Does my Child need Listening or Auditory Processing Exercises

    The title above is a little bit funny. Because, what parent wouldn’t want their child to listen better? What parent wouldn’t want their child to hear and understand commands better, right? It is a constant frustration for parents. “Didn’t you hear me?” “You need to listen to me.” Even though every child could benefit from increased listening and understanding skills, there are some children that have a disability in this area. Truth is, it isn’t about the ears ability to hear. Hearing screens are normal. It is about the brain’s ability to decode language, make sense of it, and produce an appropriate response.  
    Now, whether they have an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) or not, Exercises are a good idea. It improves listening skills, short term memory and  builds connections. You can do the exercises as games and it carries over into day-to-day life, making the child accustom to responding when spoken to. You can play ‘Mother May I’ or ‘Simon Says’. You can hide a toy and have them follow verbal instructions to find it. Make it fun!  

    When is it APD

    If you have noticed a definite lack in their ability to follow your instructions, remember the sounds that go with letters or the names of shapes and colors. Or, if they are older and struggle with reading or comprehension.  It would be a good idea to have an Occupational Therapist asses them for severity and types of APD. Find one that specializes in children and learning disabilities. You may discover that strengthening their Auditory Processing, Language Skills and Short Term Memory goes a long way toward minimizing other struggles. Specialists have discovered that Auditory Processing weaknesses can be misdiagnosed as disabilities like Dyslexia and ADD. Because Auditory Processing is really more about language processing, it interferes with reading and makes reading comprehension weak. Good new is that it can improve A LOT with Auditory or Listening exercises.

    Download the Checklist of APD Symptoms

    Few children with APD have all of the symptoms. If any of the symptoms are present, they would probably benefit greatly from the exercises. Most of the exercises are easy enough to do right at home.

    Auditory Processing Exercises

    <div style="text-align:center;padding:5px 0 5px 0;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/EZsq" target="_blank">For Parents $54.99 For In-Home Use</a></div>
    <div style="text-align:center;padding:5px 0 5px 0;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/iSwSQ" target="_blank">For Professionals $99.99 Multiples Allowed</a> </div>
    Watch how much your child can improve with increased Auditory Processing skills. Enhance their academic, social and behavioral abilities. See what a difference they can make in your child’s life. From understanding verbal instructions and commands to social ques, Auditor Processing skills are paramount! These exercises were developed with a focus on being fun and engaging for children of ages 4-11. Exercise Cards include:
    • 11 Sound Discrimination Cards
    • 11 Discrimination and Figure-Ground Discrimination Cards
    • 11 Expressive Language and Word Recall Cards
    • 11 Sequencing and Working Memory Cards

    Bonus:

    • We will also include 10 of our most loved ‘Who Am I’ Character Scenes
    These scenes are bright, fun and engaging. They were developed to increase Auditory Processing speed: These are best loved by the children we have worked with. The child gets to discover which figure in a fun and bright colored scene is the key character by following verbal clues to eliminate all other characters until there is one left to discover. These exercises encourages growth in Auditory Processing Speed and Receptive Language Skills.  
    <div style="text-align:center;padding:5px 0 5px 0;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/EZsq" target="_blank">For Parents $54.99 For In-Home Use</a></div>
    <div style="text-align:center;padding:5px 0 5px 0;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/iSwSQ" target="_blank">For Professionals $99.99 Multiples Allowed</a> </div>

    Learn more about  Auditory Processing Disorder. Or see Signs and Symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder. 

    Auditory Processing Disorder Symptoms

    Auditory Processing Disorder is a neurological processing problem with sound and language. The child will struggle to process the information coming in through hearing and reading. They have normal hearing and can hear sounds just like other children, but they struggle to comprehend, especially in noisy busy environments. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and it is often misunderstood because many of the symptoms and behaviors can correlate with other problems, like ADD. It affects about more than 5% of children. With therapy, children with Auditory Processing Disorder can be completely successful in life, and do great in school. See below for a list of

    Auditory Processing Activities

    Auditory Processing Disorder Symptoms:

      • Difficulty understanding long sentences.
      • Difficulty hearing all of the steps in a set of instructions.
      • Struggles to hear the person speaking to them in a busy room.
      • May have been taken for a hearing test with suspicion of a hearing impairment.
      • Might catch the meaning of a sentence, but not the emotion.
      • Has problem recalling information recited to them, like a phone number.
      • Cannot repeat something back word-for-word.
      • Or, can repeat instructions back perfectly, but does not comprehend them.
      • Has to whisper sentences as they write them.
      • Keeps starting over with the ABC song when writing the Alphabet to find where they are.
      • Stops in the middle of sentences and reads it to see where they are at.
      • May have articulation problems that slow reading.
      • Can sound out a word like ‘b-a-tt-le’ but fails to see the text is talking about a battle.
      • Has difficulty fusing syllables into whole words. Choppy reading and missing syllables. Example:  Reads ‘com-pre-hen-sion’ like ‘compression’.
      • Stalls when trying to say simple words when speaking. Struggles to find the word to use.
      • Problems organizing words into a clear thought when speaking and writing.
      • Has to sound out simple site words over and over again.
      • May have been tagged with ADD, but can spend hours at Legos or something done with the hands.
      • Prefers to play alone.
      • Gets easily upset at authority figures, like teachers or parents due to frustration understanding their commands and emotions.

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    Symptoms can vary from person to person and no two children are the same. They rarely exhibit all of the symptoms. But just a few symptoms can inhibit their reading, attention, social skills, confidence, family relationships, behavior and much more. Your child may also display different symptoms than the ones listed above. Despite your child’s diagnosis, these interventions can make a huge difference. Try Auditory Processing Activities for 3 months. If they do not improve, you may want to see an Occupational Therapist that specializes in childhood development.

    Click here to read more about Auditory Processing Disorder