Auditory Processing Disorder

Interference with the ability to analyze or make sense of information taken in through the ears and how the brain

processes it.

Characteristics

Difficulty remembering what they have heard

Difficulty understanding what is heard

Information may be interpreted differently than was stated

Poor discrimination of sounds

Difficulty sequencing sounds

Difficulty blending sounds to words

Difficulty following multistep directions

Difficulty following long conversations

Difficulty answering simple “wh” questions (who, what , where, when, why)

Difficulty listening and discriminating in noisy settings

May appear to tune out what is being said

Stop & Jot:Based on the characteristics, which students come to mind?

How does it manifest in the classroom?

Classroom Strategies

Blending & segmenting sounds is difficult

Small group drill/practice stretching out the sounds.

Build phonological skills with rhyming, blending and discrimination games.

How does it manifest in the classroom?

Classroom Strategies

Difficulty discriminating different sounds (ch/g, b/p, e/i)

Teach them to touch vocal chords and feel for voiced and unvoiced sounds; teach mouth positions for forming different sounds (e.g. “e” vs. “i”).

How does it manifest in the classroom?

Classroom Strategies

Sequencing of sounds heard by student may be off (e.g., “elelant” instead of “elephant”.)

Divide syllables and show with a visual; underline vowels and scoop syllables.

Provide visual writing of a word as you say it (allows students to see and hear at the same time).

Turn & Talk:

* Which strategies have you tried and found successful?

* Name a new strategy that you’d like to try on!

How does it manifest in the classroom?

Classroom Strategies

Can’t follow multi-step directions.

Speak slowly.

Break into smaller chunks or steps; have child repeat directions.

Use visual support (make a list on the board/chart, model).

Use a visual chart/schedule with pictures on the child’s desk.

How does it manifest in the classroom?

Classroom Strategies

Struggles with oral comprehension

Teach visualization of reading (teach them to visualize one sentence at a time, then move to paragraphs). Practice verbalizing their visualizations.

Pictorials or storyboards.

Chunk text and have students sketch/draw what they hear.

How does it manifest in the classroom?

Classroom Strategies

Unable to respond in an appropriate amount of time (unable to process questions as a whole)

Provide students with the questions they will be asked prior to asking them (frontloading).

Ask questions and give student time to process information prior to coming back to them for the answer.

Turn and talk before having to give a whole group answer.

How does it manifest in the classroom?

Classroom Strategies

Unable to keep up with oral lessons

Provide visual charts with info or pictures.

Reduce amount of noise in the classroom.

Have them look at you as you are talking.

Speak at a slower rate.

Ask them to repeat information to you or themselves.

Supplement oral instruction with written notes or outlines.

Restate and paraphrase information; you may also ask the student to do the same.

Chunk lessons to allow for processing/practicing/thinking time.

Pause periodically to recap lesson.

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