Understanding Auditory Processing Disorder
Individuals with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) may struggle to recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, leading to difficulties in understanding speech and interpreting sounds in the environment.
Auditory Discrimination: Areas Affected & Manifestations
1
Words
Difficulty distinguishing between similar words or sounds
2
Tones
Struggle hearing tone differences in speech or music
Difficulty with auditory discrimination can impact reading, language arts, math, and science subjects, leading to comprehension issues and phonics struggles.
Behavioral Impact & Educational Strategies
1
Frustration & Withdrawal
Challenges in understanding can lead to disengagement. Teachers can provide multi-sensory teaching and visual aids to aid comprehension.
2
Acting Out
Students with APD can become frustrated or act out in response to feeling misunderstood. Teachers can rephrase and repeat instructions to avoid this outcome.
Auditory Association: Challenges & Impact on School Subjects
Difficult Sequences
Struggles with interpreting and associating verbal information can lead to issues with understanding complex sentences and events in social studies and science.
Abstract Verbal Information
APD can impact the understanding of abstract information in language arts and related content-heavy classes.
Behavioral Impact & Educational Strategies
1
Confusion & Disengagement
If they don't understand, students can feel demotivated or confused. Teachers can break down information into smaller segments, promote note-taking, and reinforce abstract concepts regularly.
2
Memory Difficulties
Students with APD can struggle to retain information they read or heard. Teachers can integrate memory-boosting activities, have tutorials, and review information often.
Auditory Short & Sequential Memory: Impact & Solutions
Short-Term Memory
1
Memory Recall
Impairments can cause problems with recalling recent instructions or details.
2
Multi-Step Instructions
Subjects like science and math, requiring multiple steps, can be challenging for students with APD.
Sequential Memory
1
Difficulty with Sequences
APD can cause trouble following multi-step instructions or understanding sequences and events in courses like math and social studies.
2
Loss of Context
Students may not be able to understand conversations or similar situations without context.
Behavioral Impact & Educational Strategies
1
Difficulty Keeping Up
APD may cause students to struggle with keeping up during lectures or lab activities.
2
Anxiety & Disengagement
This can cause students to feel stressed or disengaged. Teachers can chunk information, visually represent information, and create to-do lists.
Auditory Vocal & Motoric Expression: Challenges & Impact
Oral Expression
Students may struggle to reproduce auditorily presented material or participate in oral presentations and discussions in language arts.
Motoric Expression
APD can cause students to struggle with physical coordination in classes like Physical Education, dance, or lab-based science classes.
Behavioral Impact & Educational Strategies
Vocal Expression
1
Anxiety in Oral Exams
Students with APD may feel reluctant or embarrassed during oral presentations.
2
Difficulty Recalling Details
If auditory memory is impaired, students may struggle to remember information relayed orally. Teachers can provide written versions of oral information and encourage note-taking.
Motoric Expression
1
Challenges with Coordination
APD may cause difficulty following verbal instructions or executing multiple-step movements.
2
Embarrassment during Physical Activities
Students may get frustrated by the difficulty and shy away from physical activity. Teachers can allow repeated attempts and break complex tasks into manageable steps.