The auditory nerve carries information heard from outside the child's ear to the inside by way of an auditory signal. The process of the ear using the auditory signal to make sense of what is heard is referred to as Auditory Processing. A child with Central Auditory Processing Deficit has normal hearing, but difficulty analyzing or making sense of what they hear.
A child with this type disorder can have problems in various areas including:
· Speech or language · Learning difficulties, particularly in reading and spelling · Inattentiveness · Appearance of hearing impairment · Distractible · Inability to follow oral directions
Diagnosis of CAPD normally relies upon testing by an audiologist and speech/language therapist. While the speech and language therapist can determine the areas of language the child has difficulty with, the audiologist can determine hearing acuity and middle ear function.
There are many causes of Central Auditory Processing Disorder. One cause is middle ear infection. A large percentage of children who have CAPD also have a significant history of ear infections during the first two years of life. Frequent ear infections may also be associated with hearing loss and may cause delayed language and speech development.
Some common symptoms associated with CAPD include:
· not listening carefully to instructions · being easily distracted by background noise · difficulty with phonics or speech sounds, spelling and/or reading · poor learning through the auditory or hearing channel · behavioral problems · below average academic performance
Once a child reaches the fourth grade, most auditory discrimination, speech and language development, and memory and processing skills are formed and in tact, however children with CAPD are not that lucky, with note taking and verbal assignments next to impossible for them to succeed at. Vocabulary development and receptive language can be affected, with difficulty hearing the different speech sounds and words being pronounced in an embarrassing fashion once a child is older. On the bright side, however, a child's auditory processing system is not complete until the age range of 11 to 14 years, so therefore remediation techniques can prove very helpful in their adjustment to life with this terrible disability.
There are changes in the classroom and at home that can tremendously help a child with CAPD, which include:
· Seating for the child away from auditory and visual distractions to help focus and maintain attention, such as a seat close to the teacher and blackboard in the classroom, away from the window and door
