How does auditory processing disorder affect children

With the right intervention and support, children with auditory processing disorder APD can improve their ability to listen in the classroom and other noisy environments. In some cases, intervention can improve listening ability to almost normal.

Your audiologist might suggest strategies or training programs your child can use to improve their listening in noisy environments. The audiologist might also recommend that your child uses a personal remote microphone or sound field amplification system. Your child might be referred to a speech pathologist to work on their language skills. Your child might also see a special education teacher for extra help at school, especially with reading and writing.

If you or your child have APD, you may find it difficult to understand: people speaking in noisy places people with strong accents or fast talkers similar sounding words spoken instructions APD is not a hearing problem.

People with the condition usually have normal hearing. Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:. Get this as a PDF.

Enter email to download and get news and resources in your inbox. Share this on social. Family Resource Center Learning Disorders. When kids are listening, but not taking in information Caroline Miller.

What You'll Learn What does auditory processing disorder look like? What kinds of auditory processing skills do some kids struggle with? Can children outgrow auditory processing disorder? Quick Read. Kids with auditory processing disorder struggle with one or more of these skills: Hearing the differences between sounds. Kids may have a hard time listening to the teacher instead of background noise in a classroom.

Remembering things they hear. Children with this kind of weakness often have a hard time remembering nursery rhymes or song lyrics that other kids remember easily. Understanding and remembering the order of sounds. Full Article. During this time, it is paramount that an effective treatment plan is put in place.

Visual processing issues can not only cause academic problems, but they can also be detrimental to self-confidence and make simple day-to-day tasks hard e. Our occupational therapists will perform specific assessments to tease out which areas of visual processing are difficult for your child.

There are many strategies, exercises, and technologies to help mitigate the effects of visual processing disorders. At FUNctionabilities, we are proud to offer an array of pediatric therapies that can help treat visual processing disorders in children.

Contact us today to learn more. Without treatment, many side effects can persist, including: anxiety, behavioral problems, depression, motor-skill challenges, and difficulties at school. Sensory processing disorder is a condition in which the brain is unable to accurately and appropriately process sensations. For children, this is often displayed as an over sensitivity or under-sensitivity to: movement, moving items, sights, sounds, textures, tastes, and smells.

The inaccurate interpretation of sensory information makes completing daily life skills more challenging. For example, it is not uncommon for children with SPD to be so sensitive to touch that the light touch of shirt or fabric can irritate the skin.

For some children, the effects can be so strong that they may vomit at the sight of some foods or look for a safe place to hide when they hear the sound of a vacuum. Like most processing disorders, the symptoms of SPD vary greatly in severity and type. SPD can affect one sense or multiple senses. Some children may exhibit hypersensitivity, while others are totally unresponsive and fail to acknowledge extreme sensations and even pain. The following are some symptoms of sensory processing disorder:.

If you notice any of these signs in your child, it is important to have a professional conduct a thorough evaluation. Far too often, sensory-related symptoms are ignored or misdiagnosed, which leads to negative effects that impact everyday life, including:.

Due to this, it can be difficult to find specialized treatment for the children who struggle with the many symptoms. However, there are many occupational therapists who provide this type of specialized treatment, and hope should never be lost. If you suspect your child is exhibiting signs of having sensory processing issues, it is absolutely necessary to consult with a trained occupational therapist.

FUNctionalities specializes in treating processing disorders through multidisciplinary approaches. When developing treatment plans, we target the underlying problem, not just the symptoms. Below are some of the pediatric therapies that we provide:. The goal of sensory integration is to challenge children in fun and powerful ways, and to grow their confidence in their ability to move forward and mitigate the effects of sensory disorders.

A key way we accomplish this is through our sensory-rich environment. This is a space outfitted with equipment like trampolines, swings, climbing walls, foam pits, and other challenging but kid-friendly devices.