Auditory processing disorder can underlie language and literacy difficulties.  It can also cause many difficulties in the classroom, as children can have difficulty focusing on the teacher's voice when there are competing sounds.  They may experience headaches and fatigue from having to work harder to process speech.

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For a full auditory processing assessment we recommend seeing an audiologist who specialises in this area.  Following that assessment, we can then help your child in the areas that are impacting on their learning.

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We often see children who have difficulty discriminating between sounds, for example they can't hear the difference between the short 'i' sound and the long 'ee' sound.  They might have problems remembering words and working with the sounds in their minds. These difficulties impact a lot on reading and spelling.

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Additionally, children with auditory processing disorders often have difficulty following multi-step directions and benefit from the use of extra visual strategies.  Difficulties remembering long sentences can mean that they're writing is disjointed.

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An assessment guided by your child's needs will determine which specific areas require treatment for him or her.

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The SPELD website contains further information about auditory processing disorders and learning difficulties.