Living with an Auditory Processing Disorder
When Anna was a little girl, she had a “cute” way of speaking. She would confuse her sounds and say “hangaber” for “hamburger” or “puzgetti” for “spaghetti”. She would forget her address and say she lived at 1510 Freda Lane, when it was really 1015.
Now that she’s a preadolescent, Anna yearns to be included in conversations with peers. Sometimes, while the comments are flying around her, Anna struggles to put her thoughts into words. By the time she is ready to speak, the conversation has moved onto another topic. She hasn’t been developing close friendships, because her peers are often conversing at a faster pace and higher complexity than Anna can manage.
Anna has also been struggling in school. She frequently hesitates to answer questions in class, because it takes her so long to organize her thoughts that the other students will start to fidget or snicker while she searches for the right words. She has been struggling academically, because she often can’t comprehend the literature, compose a document or participate in class discussions.
Anna had become lost in her own environment! She has a problem with auditory processing!
What does it Feel Like to be Anna?
Think back to the last time you answered the phone and had a bad cell phone connection. Hello…this is XXX. I’m calling about XXX. You eventually give up and try again.
That type of reception is what it is like for people with auditory processing problems. But they can’t “fix” the problem by calling back. This is a challenge with which they must learn to live.
Auditory discrimination is one type of auditory processing–that means noticing, comparing and distinguishing between distinct sounds. Did you say “fifteen” or “fifty”?
There is also auditory memory–which just means recalling what you’ve heard, either immediately or when you need it later.
A third type of auditory processing involves auditory sequencing… which simply means understanding and recalling the order of what you heard.
How do Auditory Processing Problems Affect Us!
Communication: If you can’t hear the difference between” free” and “three”, how are you ever going to produce those words correctly?!?
Academics: Noticing the difference between “f” and “th” or short “i” and short “e” is critical to learning phonics. Memorizing a series of events in the correct order is critical to succeeding in history.
Social Skills: You must be able to stay focused and keep up with your group’s topic in order to contribute something meaningful to the conversation.
Anna’s Road to Recovery
Her language therapy is targeting her listening comprehension. She is learning to think critically as she listens to literature and get to the deeper meaning.
Her literacy therapy is targeting her reading comprehension and written expression. She is learning to read novels and textbooks, extract the main ideas and think deeply about the text. She is practicing the art of answering questions about the literature, both during class discussions and while writing essays.
Anna’s social thinking class is focused on her social interaction. She is learning to keep mental files on her peers, so she can start conversations about THEM! She is learning to respond quicker, so her peers stay focused and listen to HER. Best of all, she is learning to advocate for herself!
By all reports, Anna is closing her gaps! She is receiving excellent grades in school and developing a broader circle of friends.
Anna is lucky. Her parents are addressing her challenges relatively early—before middle school. We are arming Anna with a toolkit to help her navigate the social circles of adolescence and bolstering her confidence to choose the right circle of friends. We are giving her the life-long study skills to comprehend literature, take legible notes and write powerful compositions. Anna is proving to herself and her community that, with her ability to think deeply and offer peer support, she can make valuable contributions to her groups.
If you know a child who is struggling with auditory processing disorders, encourage the parents to call us today…the earlier, the better, but it is never too late to begin
You can contact us via our form or call 858.509.1131 for more information.