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AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER

What is an Auditory Processing Disorder

The term auditory processing disorder is used when a student’s difficulties are believed to be due to a weakness in the ability to process verbal and written language. This is not due to poor hearing. Rather, it is related to a weakness in the brain's ability to fully process auditory information.

Children with auditory processing disorders often do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, and struggle to understand or remember spoken language even though the sounds themselves are loud and clear. The child will have even more difficulty understanding what is said when there is noise or other activity in the background.
A history of ear infections during the first three years of life is often a contributing factor to auditory processing disorders. With ear infections, fluid may build up in the middle-ear space, and if it is present over a period of time during the developmental years it may prevent auditory stimuli from reaching the brain. If the brain does not receive the stimulus, the area of the brain which interprets auditory stimuli does not develop.

During the first three years of life the preferable auditory stimulus is the human voice. Lullabies and bedtime stores and talking to the infant child fulfill this purpose.

In older children the build up of wax in the ears, or water from swimming, may be responsible for auditory stimuli not reaching the brain. Any form of obstruction that distorts the sound wave on the way to the brain will diminish the child’s ability to interpret auditory information.

Heredity may play a part in auditory processing when there is a history of a learning disability in the family.

Other Environmental Causes

Food allergies can be a big factor in brain function and performance. The main food allergens are dairy, wheat, corn, and sugar. A body's reaction to an allergen can occur in various ways, such as fluid in the middle ear, hyper behavior, depressed behavior, mood swings, lethargy, or congestion. Allergies can also affect the brain by hindering it from performing or functioning optimally.

Factors in the environment which impede normal child development can be easily identified at home. Motivated parents have proven repeatedly what good nutrition, good child rearing practices, sound sleep, and good parenting will do to improve the development of the central nervous system. And, it is never too late to begin to try to make a difference.

When determining eligibility for special education, the school does not determine why a problem exists, only that the child is having difficulty. When a diagnosis of auditory processing is being considered it is very important not to overlook the possibility of many other factors which may be impacting the child’s focus and attention.

Parents should insist that all other factors have been ruled out before accepting any diagnosis of a disability in their child. More information is available in our parent guide.