BEST Games, Apps & Activities to Help Improve Auditory Processing

What IS Auditory Processing?

Auditory processing is the term used to describe what happens when the brain recognizes and interprets the sounds in one's environment. A person can hear when energy that is recognized as sound travels through the ear and is changed into electrical information. This electrical information can then be interpreted by the brain. However, if a child or adult has what is called a "disorder" involving auditory processing, this means that something is adversely affecting the actual processing or interpretation of that electrical information. This is called auditory processing disorder (APD).

Children with APD often do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even though the sounds themselves may be loud and clear. For example, the request, "Tell me how a chair and a stool are alike," may actually sound to a child with APD like, "Tell me how a hare and a tool are alike." Problems like this one are often more a likely to occur when a person with APD is in a noisy environment or when he or she is listening to complex information.

APD may also be known by other terms. Sometimes it is referred to as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). Other common names for APD are auditory perception problem, auditory comprehension deficit, central auditory dysfunction, central deafness, and even word deafness.

Symptoms of Possible Auditory Processing Difficulty

Children with auditory processing difficulty typically have normal hearing and intelligence. However, they may experience:

-Trouble paying attention to and remembering information presented orally

-Problems carrying out directions with several steps

-Poor listening skills

-The need more time to process information

-Low academic performance

-Some behavior problems

-Some language difficulty (e.g., confusing syllable sequences, problems developing vocabulary and understanding language)

-Difficulty with reading, comprehension, spelling, and vocabulary

What Should You Do If You Suspect an Auditory Processing Problem?

You as a parent, teacher, or day care provider may be the first person to notice symptoms of auditory processing difficulty in your child. If you do have such a concern, you should:

1. First, talk to your child's teacher about his school or pre-school performance and your concerns. Be sure to include any observations you have made at home concerning your child.

2. Consider visiting the healthcare professionals who can diagnose APD in your child. Sometimes there may be a need for ongoing observation with the professionals involved. These professionals will try to rule out other health problems.

a. Make an appointment with your child's pediatrician or family doctor can help to rule out possible diseases that can cause some of these same symptoms. He or she will also measure and evaluate the growth and development of the child.

b. Discover if there is a disease or disorder related to hearing. To do this, you may be referred to an otolaryngologist--a physician who specializes in diseases and disorders of the head and neck. Your child's pediatrician or a local healthcare center can provide you with a good referral for such a specialist.

c. Learn if your child has a hearing function problem. This can be determined by an audiologic evaluation. An audiologist will give specific tests that can determine the softest sounds and words a person can hear and other tests to see how well people can recognize sounds in words and sentences.

d. Visit a speech & language pathologist who can evaluate how well a person understands and uses language.

e. Consult with a mental health professional can give you information about cognitive and behavioral challenges that may contribute to problems in some cases, or he or she may have suggestions that will be helpful.

f. Keep in mind that because the audiologist can help with the functional problems of hearing and processing, and the speech-language pathologist is focused on language, they ALL may work as a team to help your child. All of these professionals can work together to seek and provide the best outcome for your child.

In the meantime, it may be possible to help improve one's auditory processing ability. However, much research is still needed to understand APD problems, related disorders, and the best intervention for each child or adult.

Several strategies are available to help children with auditory processing difficulties. Some of these are commercially available but have not yet been fully studied. Any strategy selected should be used under the guidance of a team of professionals, and the effectiveness of the strategy needs to be evaluated. Researchers are currently studying a variety of approaches to treatment. Several strategies you may hear about include:

1. Auditory trainers are electronic devices that allow a person to focus attention on a speaker and reduce the interference of background noise. They are often used in classrooms, where the teacher wears a microphone to transmit sound and the child wears a headset to receive the sound. Children who wear hearing aids can use them in addition to the auditory trainer.

2. Environmental modifications such as classroom acoustics, placement, and an appropriate change in seating may help. An audiologist may suggest ways to improve the listening environment, and he or she will be able to monitor any changes in hearing status.

3. Exercises to improve language-building skills can increase the ability to learn new words and increase a child's language base.

4. Auditory memory enhancement, a procedure that reduces detailed information to a more basic representation, may help. Also, informal auditory training techniques can be used by teachers and therapists to address specific difficulties.

5. Games or software applications (apps) may be able to help improve auditory processing to a certain degree in some individuals. For the convenience of our readers, we have provided a list of resources that may be able to help:

Games & Activities to Help Improve Auditory Processing

18 Auditory Processing Activities You Can Do Without Spending a Dime!
by Bonnie Terry Learning
http://www.bonnieterry.com/blog/2009/01/18-auditory-processing-activities-you-can-do-without-spending-a-dime/

Activities to Enhance Auditory Processing
from Education.com
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Activities_Enhance/

Activities to Improve Language Skills in Children with APD
by Chris O of Speech Buddies
https://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/speech-therapy-techniques/activities-to-improve-language-skills-in-children-with-apd/

Apps to Help Improve Auditory Processing

Virtual Speech Center's 8 Auditory Processing Apps
Virtual Speech Center offers innovative mobile software solutions for schools, private practices, independent speech pathologists and parents. The company provides a wide range of mobile applications for speech therapy developed for iPad and iPhone devices. Some of their applications are offered at no charge to speech pathologists.
http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/MobileApps.aspx?cid=1&url_entry=MobileApps

Top Apps for Auditory Processing Disorder
List compiled by Smart Apps for Special Needs
http://www.smartappsforspecialneeds.com/2013/08/top-apps-for-auditory-processing.html

Apps for Auditory Processing/Sound Discrimination Skills
by Lauren S. Enders, MA, CCC-SLP (via Pinterest)
https://www.pinterest.com/lasenders/apps-for-auditory-processing-sound-discrimination-/

Sources

National Autism Resources, Inc.
This organization is a global leader in providing cost effective, research-based therapeutic tools that meet the needs of people on the autism spectrum across their lifespan since 2008. Their tools and adaptive technologies work together to improve skills and significantly decrease impairment.
http://www.nationalautismresources.com/auditory-processing.html

Auditory Processing---from The National Assoc. of Child Development
by Lori Riggs, MA, CCC/SLP Director, Center for Speech and Sound
http://nacd.org/journal/auditory_processing.php

For more information on customizable low-tech & digital reading tools for all kinds of challenged readers, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

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Shutterstock at http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-203771752/stock-vector-ear-icon-with-shadow.html?src=&ws=0
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

What to Do When You Suspect Auditory Processing Problems

(Last week’s article:BEST Tips for Auditory Processing Challenges)

Auditory processing disorder (APD), also known as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), is a complex problem affecting approximately 5% of school-aged children in the U.S. These children are unable to process the information they hear in the same way as others because their ears and brain don't fully coordinate. Something adversely affects the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, most notably the sounds composing speech.

If you notice or suspect that your child is struggling with hearing or a processing issue, the best person to give you medical advice or an appropriate referral is your child’s pediatrician. Receiving good care means having the opportunity to talk personally with the doctor who knows your child, who knows you and can ask you questions, can conduct a preliminary exam to screen for physiological hearing issues, and/or provide a good referral. The pediatrician can help guide you and your child to the qualified medical professionals and other experts in physical, emotional and behavioral issues when needed.

If further evaluation is necessary, your child’s pediatrician will refer your child and you to an otolaryngologist, a physician who specializes in treating the ear, nose, and throat. When visiting this specialist, he or she will perform a more comprehensive hearing examination. Depending on the specialist's office staff, additional tests may be conducted in the office or a referral might be given to one or more of the following medical professionals for further evaluation:

For Auditory Processing Issues

An audiologist is the preferred professional to test for auditory processing. A series of tests are given to stress the system by compromising the auditory signal. He examines how well the auditory system uses or interprets the information the ear sends it.

For Phonemic Processing Challenges

Phonemic processing is usually tested by an audiologist and a speech-language pathologist (SLP). These medical professionals examine the discrimination of phonemic characteristics of the signal.

For Language/Linguistic Processing Problems

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the medical professional who tests for language/linguistic processing. She examines the acoustic integrity of the signal and evaluates the functional discrimination of the acoustic signal. The third area of assessment for the SLP should be in the area of "language processing," or the ability to use the linguistic code to attach meaning to the acoustic signal.

Preliminary Checklist for Auditory Processing Difficulties

__Difficulty following oral directions; inconsistent responses
__Short, auditory attention span; fatigues easily
__Poor short/long term memory
__Daydreams, appears not to listen
__Difficulty hearing with background
__Difficulty localizing sounds
__Academic and/or speech & language problems
__Disruptive behaviors; impulsive, frustrated
__Requests repetition; frequently asks "huh?"
__History of ear infections

Resources to Help:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Website
Visit the following website to locate a certified audiologist or speech/language pathologist in your area, or contact the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) at 1-800-638-8255 for this information.
http://www.asha.org/findpro/

Redefining Auditory Processing Disorder: A Speech-Language Pathologist's Perspective---by Gail Richard
http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2004/040330/f040330b2.htm

Introduction to Auditory Processing Disorders
FREE downloadable PDF file that provides an overview of APD and the appropriate medical professionals to consult regarding the condition.
http://www.asec.net/Archives/APD.pdf

VIDEO-Auditory Processing Disorder in Kids---from Web MD
http://children.webmd.com/video/auditory-processing-disorder-in-kids

For information on customizable reading tools:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of: Lexercise at http://www.lexercise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ear.jpg

BEST Tips for Auditory Processing Challenges

Do you suspect that your child or one of your students may have difficulty with auditory processing? A Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) can result from any breakdown in the very broad set of skills needed to deal with auditory information.

Children with auditory processing disorder (APD) have difficulty listening in environments with background noise. Of course, if hearing difficulties are noticed or APD is suspected, first consider a comprehensive hearing test prior to further evaluation for APD. If you see your child or your student struggling to process oral directions or other information, there are a few things you can do so that the child will have a greater chance of experiencing success in following the directions or understanding the information.

1. Discover ways to change the listening environment.
First, turn off nearby noise-generating devices as much as you are able. A television or CD player should be turned off and seating should be provided away from a heating or cooling system’s fan, etc. Also, eliminate any other distractions that could be visually stimulating. This is particularly important for the area of your child’s or student’s homework desk and tables.

2. Provide tips & strategies to help remember directions.
It is very important to teach a child with APD some specific strategies to cope with the challenges of following directions. It’s a good idea to even involve your child in developing some of these strategies. Allow him to become part of the solution, not just the problem.

• Ask the child, “What do you think will help you remember?“ List these on a small poster or a large bookmark for the child’s easy reference when needed.

• Some children do well when writing notes to themselves as a “crutch” or anchor. Post-It Notes can be especially effective for this, particularly when posted at eye level. Other children are more successful if they carry 3” X 5” index cards with notes or prompts.

• Sometimes, placing a colorful band around the wrist or a favorite sticker on the child’s hand can be just the kinds of visual reminders needed to carry out a specific task. Helping to develop coping strategies such as these will help the child or student learn to problem solve and become more independent, an important life skill in and of itself.

• Teach the child to visualize each step in the set of directions. Ask her to create a mental picture of the task in her mind’s eye.

• Ask the child to repeat a set of directions several times in a low voice (and later, silently) until the task is finished.

Example:
1. I can see myself going into my room.
2. Then, I can see myself getting my bookbag.
3. I now see myself putting my math homework into my math folder.
4. Now, I can see myself placing the math folder into the bookbag.
5. Finally, I can see myself closing the bookbag.

4. Help the child create a daily record book.
This should include a calendar on which to record daily events and homework assignments. Help the child organize schoolwork. Teach the child to check off completed items. Show the child your own systems for keeping track of appointments (palm pilots, date books, kitchen calendar, lists, etc.)

5. Structure is critical---Create and maintain helpful schedules and routines.
Children with APD are most successful completing tasks when those tasks are part of an established and structured routine. Doing homework at the same time every night and in the same space or location can contribute to more success for these children.

6. Communicate often (and effectively as well as respectfully) with teachers and therapists.
Feedback and input from your child’s teacher or your student’s parents can be invaluable in helping bring about improvement with APD issues as well as other learning challenges for a child. This will reveal which strategies are working for the child at school, and will give the opportunity to tell others what is working at home.

To do this effectively, establish a mutually agreeable day and time to communicate as well as the preferred method of communication (i.e. phone, email, handwritten note, etc.) Providing a colorful folder for a child or student to carry important to school and home will increase the chances of the folder being utilized and remembered---regularly.

7. Use daily activities as opportunities to improve listening skills.
There are many ways to incorporate listening skills practice into daily activities:

• Ask your child to help make a list of needed items for his birthday party before visiting the store. Dictate 2-3 items and have him write them down on the list. (Remind him of the strategies taught previously, if he struggles.)

• When reading a book aloud to your child or student within the classroom setting, ask the child to summarize what a character said or to list what has happened in the story to that point. Talk about idioms or riddles as well, since children with APD often have difficulty understanding figurative language and inferences.

• Play "listening" games in the car or at "wait times" in your classroom. “Add-on” games are great memory builders. (Example: I went to the zoo and I saw_____, _____, ____, etc.)

8. Use interesting & motivating projects to practice following directions and sequencing.
Projects that are meaningful, rewarding and enjoyable are great ways to practice the learned strategies for following directions. Those that involve the five senses can be even more effective. Short, concrete projects work best:

• Simple but delicious recipes from kid’s magazines (Read directions and child can do the steps.)

• New, card or board games (Read directions aloud and child can interpret.)

• Hobby kits (such as for building a model airplane, small toy, crafts, etc.) (Read directions and child recalls or follows the sequence.)

9. Give directions in more effective ways.
To encourage more success in following directions and to reduce frustration for all, consider changing your delivery of instructions:

Recommendations:
• Think of effective ways to reduce any background noise.

• Gain attention with a touch or voice.

• Make sure the child is looking at you when you speak.

• Speak at a slightly slower rate, with more expression.

• Use simple, short sentences as much as possible.

• Repeat a direction once, if needed, again at a slower rate.

• Break down a set of directions into several parts. Be sure to pause briefly between the steps of the directions. This will allow time for the child or student to properly process each part of the directions at a time.

10. Help build the child’s self-esteem by encouraging changes in the her attitude.

• Ask your child or student to think of herself as an active member of a team, one who is involved in bringing about the solution.

• Help the child understand that all people, especially adults, use strategies everyday to make life better and easier for themselves and others.

• Make a chart or graph showing the child’s successes. This will become a visual reminder and motivator for the child to continue making progress.

Resources:
The Source for Processing Disorders by Gail J. Richards

CAPD Assessment - General Principles by Jeanane M. Ferre, PhD

American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association:
http://www.asha.org

Website containing materials relating to language and auditory skills:
http://www.speakingofspeech.com

Website with FREE informational handouts and materials for purchase:
http://www.superduperinc.com

Website for East Peoria School District 86
http://www.epd86.org/epweb/LOs/Auditory_and_Language_Processing/top_10_tips_for_parents.html

For information on customizable reading tools:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of: Lexercise at http://www.lexercise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ear.jpg