What it is
Auditory processing and language skills develop with well organised vestibular, proprioception and tactile systems. Our auditory system processes sound, and language received via our auditory receptor, our ears. The process involved:
- Attending to sound
- Receiving information
- Perceiving and discriminating between sounds
- Sound association and decoding
- Remembering what is heard
- Integration of what has been heard and expressing a response.
Children with auditory processing difficulties may experience difficulties with listening or making sense of the sounds they hear particularly in environments with a lot of background noise.
Please ensure child’s hearing has been checked by a relevant medical professional.
Hypersensitive
| Potential signs | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learning |
|---|---|---|
| Potential signsCovering ears when others not. | Potential impactUnable to concentrate | Strategies to assist with learning |
| Potential signsComplaining that noise is painful | Potential impactImpacts upon engagement with activities that involve high levels of noise | Strategies to assist with learningEar plugs / ear defenders / headphones (should only be worn for 30-40 minutes at a time) |
| Potential signsDifficulty filtering out general background noise | Potential impactDislike of noisy environments. | Strategies to assist with learningConsider positioning in class |
| Potential signs | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learningGive warning of predicted noise if possible |
| Potential signsFlight/fight type reactions seen in noisy environments | Potential impactFear of certain environments | Strategies to assist with learningReducing overall noise levels |
| Potential signs | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learningQuiet areas for concentrated work |
| Potential signs | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learningCheck the classroom/hall/dining area acoustics and consider acoustic solutions such as acoustic clouds. |
| Potential signs | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learningOffer options for small group work or direct teaching to reduce background noise. |
Hyposensitive
| Potential signs | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learning |
|---|---|---|
| Potential signsDifficulty listening to and following instructions | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learningUse the child’s name to engage them |
| Potential signsCan be slow to respond to questions or their name being called | Potential impact | Strategies to assist with learningAllow time for a response |
| Potential signsCan often appear to not hear noise or be unresponsive to loud noise | Potential impactStruggle to follow instructions | Strategies to assist with learningGive instructions in other forms of media – such as visual |
| Potential signsDifficulty pronouncing words, using prepositions and sequencing verbal instructions | Potential impactConfusion as to what is happening and what is expected of them | Strategies to assist with learningGain eye contact while giving instructions |
| Potential signsCan struggled to focus on foreground noise or to block out background noise | Potential impactPoor memory recall | Strategies to assist with learningRequest the child repeats instructions to make sure that they understand |
