- #Auditory processing disorder in children software
- #Auditory processing disorder in children professional
When someone has APD, sound enters the ear canal and passes through the middle and inner ear as usual. The brain then interprets these nerve impulses as sound. The movement of the fluid in the cochlea stimulates the hair cells inside it to trigger a nerve impulse, which is carried to the brain by the auditory nerve. The sound then passes through the middle ear via the three small bones of hearing (ossicles) on to the inner ear, which is filled with fluid. Sound waves enter the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. The ear consists of three parts, the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The challenge for researchers and clinicians is to work out what they are.Transition to adolescent and adult services It is very likely there are specific skills we have not yet identified, or are able to measure, that may significantly contribute to listening ability. Listening is a complex behaviour, involving many skills, and we still need to improve our ability to identify those at risk before learning becomes affected.
#Auditory processing disorder in children software
These usually aim to strengthen listening skills and associated neural pathways using specialised software programs that provide listening tasks and typically up the difficulty as the child’s skill improves.Ĭhildren can also be trained to strengthen language comprehension and memory by a speech therapist, which will assist with listening. Many researchers are focusing on developing training programs that target the main cause of listening difficulties. A personal frequency modulation device, for instance, can transmit sound directly from the teacher to a receiver worn by the child.
In classrooms, devices can be used to improve sound signals. The appropriate treatment plan to help a child with auditory processing disorder will depend on the type of deficit diagnosed. This is assumed to be due to the fluctuating hearing loss associated with glue ear that disrupts the cues needed to develop listening skills. There is also evidence children who have a middle ear infection, resulting in glue ear (or sticky fluid in the ear), may later develop APD. This means children with APD need to better develop and strengthen the neural connections and pathways required for complex listening.Ī speech therapist can help strengthen language comprehension. Some children will be able to catch up over time but in others, the disorder may last into adulthood. Although the exact cause of auditory processing disorder is unknown, there is increasing evidence that developmental delay is the likely cause for many children. The process of listening that develops throughout childhood involves growing pathways of the central auditory nervous system. But audiologists also need to be careful not to confuse auditory processing disorder with other disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder, which can show the similar behaviour of poor listening.Īttention, memory and intelligence tests are now routinely performed in many hearing clinics throughout Australia and research is identifying better and more age-specific diagnostic tests.Īll this has greatly improved the ability of audiologists to more accurately determine the main cause of a child’s listening difficulties. from Wikimedia Commonsĭue to outcomes in recent research, tests that assess a child’s attention, memory and intelligence have been included in the diagnosis of APD.
This measures the ability to listen to competing signals. These may include repeating sentences that become softer against background noise, which measures how well the child can separate the targeted speech from the noise.Īnother common test involves a child receiving different signals in each ear, such as numbers, and being asked to repeat them both. A collection of tests is used to measure listening skills.
#Auditory processing disorder in children professional
How is it diagnosed?Īuditory processing disorder is usually diagnosed by a hearing professional called an audiologist. Although the listening skills may catch up, the missed learning may not. These literacy and learning deficits can remain in place throughout the child’s education journey. Research shows it is highly likely a child with reading deficits will also have an auditory processing disorder. Reading deficits, for instance, are the leading reason for referral to an audiologist for an APD assessment. If left untreated, these difficulties can impact on a child’s ability to learn. from Īnother problem typically reported with APD is difficulty following instructions and concentrating, especially in a noisy environment. Children with APD have trouble separating competing sounds and distinguishing between similar sounds.
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