Central Auditory Processing Disorder in the School-Aged Child

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Central Auditory Processing Disorder in the
School-Aged Child

• Presented by
• Pamela G. Clay, M.S., M.Ed.
• Semmes Elementary School

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What is Central Auditory Processing Disorder?

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• Central Auditory Processing Disorder exists when
  a reduced ability to discriminate, recognize or
  comprehend auditory information is documented in
  people who have no identified hearing loss.

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• Simply put, the brain doesnt attach meaning to
  words fast enough to allow the comprehension of
  every word that is heard.
• Sometimes, letters dont say the same sound
  twice.
• CAPD is a brain disorder, not a hearing disorder.
  A student cannot be expected to recall
  information that was never reached the brain for
  processing.

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• What causes
• Central Auditory
• Processing Disorder?

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Causes

• The cause of Central Auditory Processing Disorder
  is debated.
• No one really knows for sure. Possibilities
  include
• recurrent ear infections
• head trauma
• lack of oxygen during the birth process
• forceps delivery
• genetics

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Is there a cure for Central Auditory Processing
Disorder?
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• Although no specific cure for CAPD exists,
  therapy can help! Therapy encourages the
  exercising of the part of the brain that
  controls auditory functioning.
• If the disorder is as a result of a developmental
  delay caused by recurrent ear infections,
  continued growth may reduce or even eliminate the
  problem.

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• What should teachers and parents look
  for?

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Memory problems

• Difficulty with immediate auditory memory
• May remember only the first or last part of a
  message
• Often quick to respond. May blurt out answers
  even before the question is completed to
  compensate for poor memory
• May be a rapid speaker again compensating for
  poor memory
• Often states, I forgot. Huh? What?
• Consistently requires that directions or
  instructions be repeated

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Discrimination

• Difficulty or inability to read phonetically
• Difficulty with spelling
• Often misunderstands what is said
• May exhibit extreme difficulty understanding
  speech in the presence of background noise
• May exhibit speech problems, mispronounce words
  and experience difficulties with self expression
• Vocabulary may be below average for chronological
  age

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Decoding/Comprehension

• Slow to respond to verbally presented questions
• Often responds at inappropriate times
• Appears to experience more difficulties in
  settings in which there is background noise
• May respond with answers or statements that do
  not relate to the subject at hand
• Will likely show preference for learning visually
  

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What can teachers do to help students with CAPD?

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Modification of the Listening Environment

• Consider

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• Classroom acoustics reduce the reverberation
  within the room by adding dividers, bookshelves,
  acoustic tiles, carpet, wall hangings or bulletin
  boards.

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• Classroom seating Student should be seated away
  from hall and street noise and as close to the
  teacher as possible. Distance from the teacher
  should not exceed 10 feet.

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• Independent study area - Provide a quiet,
  isolated study area. Shield this student from
  visual distractions and reduce the amount of
  background noise whenever possible. Utilize
  earplugs, earmuffs or headphones.

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Strategies for Improved Communication

• Consider

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• Gaining attention Touch or call the student by
  name and establish face-to-face, eye-to-eye
  contact.
• Have the student repeat the instructions to you
  using their own words.

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• Monitor comprehension Periodically, ask the
  child questions related to the subject at hand.
  Ask for a brief comment or opinion to confirm
  comprehension.

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• Rephrase Restate what has been misunderstood
  rather than restating all the information.
• Reduce the complexity of your message and limit
  the number of words that you use.

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• Brief instructions Limit your verbiage when
  providing instructions or conversing with the
  student.
• Be concise and to the point.

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• Pretutor Familiarize the child with new
  vocabulary before presentation to the class.
• Help the student build a vocabulary bank using
  note cards. Deposit new cards daily/weekly.

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• Write assignments Provide a highly visible,
  written list of all class and home assignments.
• Assign a study buddy or pencil partner to
  help make sure this student is made aware of new
  assignments throughout the day.

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• Visual aids Use diagrams, maps, puzzles,
  pictures or outlines when presenting new
  concepts.
• Students with CAPD are often very visual due
  to their auditory weakness.
• Remember the question, Do I have to draw you a
  picture?

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• Individual help Provide one-on-one recaps to
  determine the degree to which the student has
  processed information.
• Significant chunks of information can be
  missed throughout the course of a school day.

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• Provide breaks Students with CAPD expend more
  mental energy processing information. They will
  tire quickly.
• Once a child is fatigued, further instruction
  will likely lead to student and teacher
  frustration.

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More interesting facts
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• Many students possess auditory processing
  difficulties that do not meet the criteria for
  a diagnosed disorder. Use of intervention
  strategies will likely prove beneficial for these
  students as well.

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• Failure to get enough sleep or to sleep soundly
  can result in a dramatic decrease in processing
  speed.

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• One side of the human brain tends to process
  auditory information better than the other. Only
  an audiological evaluation can determine which
  side tends to process best. If known,
  preferential seating should be provided.

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• Children with CAPD and ADHD share identical
  characteristics. Be careful not to assume that
  every child who is easily distracted and
  inattentive is ADHD. CAPD may indeed be the
  culprit.

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• Students with CAPD may exhibit behavior problems.
  Low self-esteem, frustration and anger often
  result in inappropriate behavior.

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• Because some cases of CAPD are genetically
  programmed, parents may share their childs
  difficulties. Communication may be hampered as a
  result.

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• Auditory processing and auditory discrimination
  difficulties often go hand in hand. Such
  students find it difficult to read and spell
  phonetically.

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• Children with auditory processing difficulties
  will often be observed to whisper to themselves.
  They find it hard to read silently.
• Why? Because the brain tends to process better
  when it can hear its own voice. This is why we
  talk to ourselves.

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Questions and Comments