“Auditory Processing:” What does it mean?

Auditory processing is more than just hearing.

What does “auditory” mean?  Is that the same as “hearing”?

Auditory simply means related to hearing.  The inner ear has two major organs that contribute to our sense of sound.  Very simply speaking, the cochlea is responsible for defining the sound that is heard (like a car horn) and the vestibule is responsible for the sound making its way to the brain so that the brain can produce a movement based response (get out of the way).  The vestibular system, also housed in the inner ear with it’s partner the hearing system,  helps us achieve more complex responses like balance.  It’s a complex symphony that results in coordinated movement in response to sound.  The music of this symphony is auditory processing.

 

Kids who have a healthy and functioning auditory system…

* are able to turn their heads toward you when their name is called.

*are able to filter out sounds which they don’t need to pay attention to like the refrigerator turning on, or a baby crying in church or their brother kicking a chair during dinner.  Those noises are background.

*can follow directions that are given verbally from you or a teacher without problem.

*can catch the vast majority of words spoken to them without missing a word.

*aren’t distracted by sounds which may be familiar or unfamiliar

*know what to do when they hear a certain sound like the bell to change classes.

 

Kids who have problems with auditory processing…

*may miss small parts of direction, which can affect how they respond.

*may be hyposensitive, which means they are underresponsive, or aren’t able to clue into important sounds around them.  They may talk to themselves a lot or make a lot of sounds.  They may not accurately respond to a direction because they may not have heard it accurately.

*may be hypersensitve, which means that they are overstimulated by noisy environments.  They may seem controlling or avoid these types of environments.  They may cover their ears, or act like they want to run away.  Sounds may seem actually painful to them.

*may seem very distracted and unable to follow your directions.

 

Ways you can help…

Sing songs with them.  Read with them and ask questions about what they have read.

Use verbal cues like “Are you ready?”

You may find it helpful to say something a different way.  After asking a child to pick up his shoes a couple times, you might want to say:  “your shoes belong in the closet.”

For older kids, voice recorders on smart phones can help them remember details from classes.  Younger kids can also benefit from visual components like videos.

Outlines, study guides, personal organizers can all help.

Noise cancelling headphones can be helpful.

Therapeutic Listening- as prescribed by your OT.

Talk to your occupational therapist about the specifics related to your unique circumstances and your child.  We can help find ways to reduce their frustration- and yours.

Other websites to check out:

The American Speech-Language Association– a detailed article about auditory processing.

This website has ideas from parents.

These videos are descriptions of brain pathways related to the senses.

Ideas for the classroom.

Nice blog written by therapist related to auditory processing.

 

 

 

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