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A hearing test is the very important first step to an accurate diagnosis.
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What is Auditory Processing?
Dr. Jack Katz, a pioneer in the field, describes auditory processing as "what we do with what we hear." Auditory processing involves many steps, starting from the ear, at the level of detection (i.e. "I hear that"), and ending in the brain, at the level of comprehension (i.e. "I understand that"). Auditory processing is the ability to separate the speech or sound from the background noise, remember it, maintain the sequence of it and combine the auditory information with other sensory inputs. In most cases, children with auditory processing disorders (APD) pass a routine hearing test and detect sound normally. However, they demonstrate difficulties on tests that tax the central auditory nervous system, such as recognizing words in the presence of background noise and listening to speech presented to both ears simultaneously, for example.
Types of Auditory Processing Disorders
There are different types of auditory processing disorders. In the Buffalo Model, the four main categories are:
Decoding
Decoding refers to how quickly and accurately one digests speech, especially at the phonemic level. The associated communication and school problems are: difficulties developing clear speech, delayed responses, difficulties understanding what is said, and poor phonics.
Tolerance-Fading Memory
Tolerance-Fading Memory refers to speech understanding in noise, tolerance for noise, and short term auditory memory. The associated communication and school problems are: difficulties with reading comprehension, understanding in noise, short-term auditory memory, and attention. Children may also have difficulty tolerating noise and avoid noisy environments.
Integration
Integration refers to the communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain using auditory input from each ear. The associated communication and school problems are: severe difficulties with reading and/or spelling, long delays in speaking, and auditory-visual-motor integration problems. Children with integration type of APD may also have decoding problems and are often diagnosed as “dyslexic.”
Organization
Organization refers to the order and sequence of the auditory information. The associated communication and school problems are: difficulties with sequencing and organizing. Children with organization type of APD often lose things. An organization type of APD often makes other problems much worse.
Decoding
Decoding refers to how quickly and accurately one digests speech, especially at the phonemic level. The associated communication and school problems are: difficulties developing clear speech, delayed responses, difficulties understanding what is said, and poor phonics.
Tolerance-Fading Memory
Tolerance-Fading Memory refers to speech understanding in noise, tolerance for noise, and short term auditory memory. The associated communication and school problems are: difficulties with reading comprehension, understanding in noise, short-term auditory memory, and attention. Children may also have difficulty tolerating noise and avoid noisy environments.
Integration
Integration refers to the communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain using auditory input from each ear. The associated communication and school problems are: severe difficulties with reading and/or spelling, long delays in speaking, and auditory-visual-motor integration problems. Children with integration type of APD may also have decoding problems and are often diagnosed as “dyslexic.”
Organization
Organization refers to the order and sequence of the auditory information. The associated communication and school problems are: difficulties with sequencing and organizing. Children with organization type of APD often lose things. An organization type of APD often makes other problems much worse.
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