Effective Intervention Strategies for Children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Understanding and supporting children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) can be challenging but with the right strategies, you can make a difference. The following are some intervention strategies to consider for school aged children.
Understanding Auditory Processing Disorder
APD, also known as central auditory processing disorder, is where the brain has difficulty understanding speech and accurately interpreting and processing the auditory information in the presence of other sounds in the environment. It is not a hearing impairment, as children with auditory processing difficulties typically have normal hearing abilities. Instead, the difficulty lies in how the brain interprets and makes sense of the sounds it hears.
Effective Intervention Strategies for APD:
Environmental Modifications:
- Create a quiet, distraction-free environment for tasks that require listening and concentration.
- Use visual aids, such as written instructions or pictures, to supplement verbal information.
- Minimise background noise during homework or study sessions.
- Allow preferential seating option with some flexibility to optimise participation when sound sources may change.
- Avoid seating near distracting sound sources like heaters or AV equipment, as well as windows or doorways that may add to distractions.
- Provide the student with a quiet or isolated area when possible.
Instructional Strategies:
- Gain the student’s attention before giving instructions, using cues like proximity and name-calling.
- Provide both written and verbal instructions, ensuring clarity and comprehension.
- Check the student’s understanding and retention of instructions.
- Review previous material and preview upcoming content to reinforce learning.
- Provide pre-assigned readings and home assignments to introduce new concepts, involving parents in pre-reading activities at home.
- Allow additional time for task completion to accommodate processing needs.
- Allow adequate response time for verbal questions, especially those requiring complex language organization.
Auditory Training and Technology:
- Work with an audiologist who can provide access to third party programs that have been scientifically validated to assist with specific types of auditory weaknesses targeting discrimination, sequencing, and being able to listen to a target message in the presence of competing information.
- Encourage consistent practice at home to reinforce skills learned in therapy sessions.
- Explore assistive listening devices like Remote Microphone (RM) systems to enhance speech understanding in challenging environments. An audiologist can assist with this.
- Consider using captioned videos or audio recordings with transcripts to support comprehension.
Educational Accommodations and Self-Advocacy:
- Collaborate with the child’s school to ensure appropriate accommodations, such as preferential seating and extended test time, are provided.
- Educate teachers and staff about your child’s auditory processing difficulties and their specific needs.
- Teach the child about their auditory processing difficulties and empower them to communicate their needs to teachers and peers.
- Encourage the use of self-advocacy strategies like asking for repetition or seeking clarification when needed.
Parenting a child with Auditory Processing difficulties comes with its unique set of challenges, but by implementing some of these intervention strategies, you can provide the support and encouragement your child needs to succeed. It is important to remember that every child is different. There is not one approach that is better that another, just tailor these strategies to best suit your child’s individual strengths and needs.