How to Help Children With Auditory-Processing Problems

Children with auditory-processing disorders or APD have difficulty understanding language because their central nervous systems or brains process sounds differently. These children may hear a sentence, but the brain mixes up the order of the words or the syllables, or they can have problems filtering sounds in a loud crowded room. This can be frustrating not only for the child but for teachers and parent as well. ADP can affect how a child learns, cause them to give up on listening and make it difficult for them to follow directions. As a result they may act out in frustration and confusion. Fortunately with proper diagnosis and individualized treatment plans, kids with ADP can compensate and learn skills to work around their auditory-processing disorder. Here are some options to investigate for your child or student. These techniques may or may not be appropriate for each individual child. Treatments vary depending on a child's exact type of APD.

Things You'll Need

• Auditory device

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Instructions

• 1

  Look into getting an electronic listening device that includes a headset for the child and a microphone for the teacher to help a child focus on listening to one sound--the teacher. There are also all-in-one devices available that the child can wear all day. These devices look like large MP3 players, but are really a portable microphone and speaker device.

• 2

  Try making classroom modifications can be made to manage what the child hears and help them focus on what they need to listen to. To reduce a classroom's acoustics, rugs can be laid down and walls can be covered with kids' art work. Other options are to place the child closer to the teacher and away for students who tend to talk out of turn.

• 3

  Work with a specialized therapist, with computer programs or practice at home exercises, so that your child can learn skills that allow him to improve his focus, increase his memory retention of directions and improve his vocabulary and language. These therapies provide the child with the opportunity to compensate for the auditory deficit.