Treatments For Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory processing disorder is a neurological disorder most commonly seen in children. There is not a single known cause, but many factors may contribute to the development of the disorder. For example, head injuries and genetics are closely linked to auditory processing disorder, and they likely contribute to damage associated with the auditory cortices in the brain. Individuals with auditory processing disorder tend to have a hard time understanding speech in loud places, following spoken directions, and differentiating between similar sounds. Auditory processing disorder cannot be cured, but there are a few ways to help patients with the disorder have a better understanding of the world.

Get to know the treatment options for auditory processing disorder now.

Additional Support In The Classroom

Because auditory processing disorder patients have a difficult time understanding spoken language, it may be necessary to provide those who have it with additional support in the classroom. Placing a child with this disorder close to the teacher and away from noisy areas of the room will vastly improve the child's ability to learn. To further aid the student in hearing, the teacher may consider talking slowly, emphasizing and repeating key points of the lesson, and letting the child use a device that aids in hearing. The teacher should also make use of tools that make the lesson more visible. Testing can also be somewhat harder for kids with auditory processing disorder. They should still be given a quiet space, and they may need more time than usual to complete the test.

Learn about the key types of therapy used to help treat auditory processing disorder patients next.

Speech And Language Therapy

Auditory processing disorder causes affected individuals to have issues perceiving certain sounds sometimes. This means they will mix up similar-sounding words, though thankfully this error can be remedied by providing patients with speech and language therapy. These therapies will help children better distinguish between similar sounds in a few ways. A speech therapist will guide the patient in how to better understand language sounds, which helps with both their listening and reading skills. The therapist should also help the patient become an active listener. This means teaching the child to ask questions and repeat information back to the speaker. Speech and language therapy should also help the patient better understand the appropriate uses of language in everyday conversation.

Keep reading to reveal auditory processing disorder treatments to use in the home.

Adjustments In Home To Reduce Echoes

Just as in the classroom, the home can be too noisy of an environment for individuals with auditory processing disorder. Since auditory processing disorder makes it hard to understand and pull apart important sounds, it may also be necessary to make adjustments in the home to reduce echoes. Furniture may need to be rearranged, and curtains may need to be hung. In large, open rooms, patients with auditory processing disorder will find it nearly impossible to understand anything being said to them. By making an effort to reduce the echo created by those open rooms, individuals with the disorder and those living with them will have much less frustration to deal with. Certain appliances may also contribute to the problem, so when those objects are in use, it is best to hold off on sharing essential information with the patient who has auditory processing disorder.

Get to know another method of treating auditory processing disorder now, this time in relation to electronics.

Limiting Noisy Electronics

Again, this issue lies with the fact patients with auditory processing disorder have a hard time pulling the important information out of all the sounds they hear. Playing video games tends to be simpler for these children because all the sounds of a video game are important to the video game. This may be a problem if the individual begins to play too much.

Other electronic devices may cause a problem. A loud television may make an individual with this disorder unable to pay attention to those living with them. Other electronics can also contribute to this, such as a radio or a computer. Regardless, these devices may potentially make it hard for the auditory processing disorder patient to understand others. Limiting noisy electronics by taking them away or turning the volume down or off helps resolve this problem to at least some degree.

Reveal the next treatment option for auditory processing disorder now.

Use Physical Cues And Repetition

Spoken language is not the only way to communicate with others. In fact, individuals without hearing impairments utilize nonverbal communication all the time to aid their understanding. The same is true of patients with auditory processing disorder, so using physical cues and repetition can really help them out. Nonverbal communications, like pointing to the object of conversation or displaying an action, are great ways to help an individual with the disorder understand what is going on. Using repetition is another great way to aid these individuals. By saying something multiple times, there is a higher likelihood the patient with auditory processing disorder will attend to and understand that language. These two simple behaviors vastly improve the ability of those with auditory processing disorder to understand the world.