Auditory Processing is complicated–let’s take a closer look…
Most of us probably think of the process of listening as automatic; unless something is wrong with the ear, sound comes in, and you understand it, right?
The way the brain processes incoming sound is very complex, involving lots of steps. If any one of those steps doesn’t work well, a person might not understand what they hear, even if their ears work perfectly. To take just one example—right now you can probably hear many different sounds, perhaps traffic noise, humming ventilation systems, and distant conversation, and you probably ignore most of those noises because they are unimportant. How are you doing that? If someone speaks to you, how do you pay attention to their words and not to all of the other noises around you? And what would happen if you could not do it?
Auditory processing is the specific way the brain identifies incoming sound, assigns meaning to it, and determines whether the sound requires attention, thought, or action. Auditory processing deficits are not all the same, but can manifest as difficulty following conversation, understanding instructions, or remembering verbal information.
Many people mistakenly assume that someone with an auditory processing deficit is deliberately refusing to listen, or refusing to follow instructions. Actually, the person with the deficit may be doing their best and may not understand what the problem is, either.
For children, unaddressed auditory processing deficits can lead to problems learning to read and write, as well as difficulty doing word problems in math. Both unintentional behavioral problems, due to not understanding instructions, and deliberate acting out (being consistently misjudged is very frustrating) are also likely.
Dealing with an auditory processing disorder begins with understanding what it is. If your child or student (or perhaps you, yourself–yes adults can have this too) has difficulty understanding instructions, does not attend to conversations well, often forgets verbally delivered information, or has academic delays, consider screening for an auditory processing deficit.
Once we know what the problem is, we can develop effective coping strategies together.