Visual Processing

Processing skills include vision and hearing.

Learning Differences

What is visual processing?

Processing or perceptual skills include vision and hearing, but are more than just seeing and hearing clearly. They consist of the ability to understand and use what the eye sees and what the ear hears. For example, Visual figure-ground is the ability to find a picture or shape within different shapes. Yes, this is Hidden Pictures! There are many things you can do to improve visual skills; however, if your child is struggling in school you first need to have a vision exam by a specialist.

If you just want to strengthen your child's visual skills here are some suggestions:

• Hidden pictures
• Mazes
• Complete the picture, coloring etc.

Reversing letters is a red flag! Difficulties with the parents' vision is also a red flag as these types of difficulties can run in families.

Programs for Auditory Processing Disorders

What can I do if my child has an auditory processing disorder?

The important part of program success is getting your child on the right program. At the Center we will review your testing, complete testing if necessary, and provide a free consultation. Our goal is help you find the right program for your child. Our therapists take the time to consult with other educators or specialists if needed to make the right decision.

If you're not sure why your child is failing in school, please feel free to give us a call to discuss your concerns. We are here to help you and your child. Often parents will tutor a child without understanding why that child is struggling. You must find out what the breakdown is before you can tutor the child with real success.

Just like vision, as a parent you can improve your child's auditory skills by doing some simple everyday activities. Listening and understanding are the most important auditory skills. Tell and retell stories to improve memory, learn nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays, clapping and tapping games help with discrimination and sequencing and reading improves all language and learning abilities. All of these skills are important for success in school.

There are several programs that directly address auditory processing disorders. For younger children, 4-7 we would recommend the Earobics home program. This is a computer program that interacts with the child to improve auditory skills. It is not as intense as some of the other programs and it can help if your child has a mild auditory delay. We recommend ten minutes a day, 5 days a week until you complete the program. This is available through the Center.

For an older child, the two programs that we recommend are Fast ForWord and Interactive Metronome. These are both intensive auditory-based programs that can be done in your home or at the Center.

Fast ForWord rewires the pathways in the brain to increase auditory skills thereby improving classroom attention and reading. Your child would work on the program for 60-90 minutes a day, five days a week for 6-8 weeks. The intensity and adaptability are two of the reasons that why this program has been so successful. Children's test scores will improve one to two standard deviations. This is a significant move in this short period of time. There are three basic programs: Fast ForWord Language, Fast ForWord Language to Reading, Fast ForWord Reading. There are also programs for middle and high school children.

Find out more at www.fastforword.com and www.brainconnection.com

Interactive Metronome is also an auditory processing program, however, it is often recommended for children with auditory output difficulties or sensitivity. This means that they receive the auditory but there is confusion with sequencing or background noise etc. Or the child may not be able to sort out the auditory sounds because they are such a visual learner. This program runs for 15 sessions over a month or so.

Sometimes children will need to do more than one program. Often the auditory processing programs will precede a good reading program. The two programs above work well with the Linda Mood-belle program or the Fast Track Reading Program.

What is Central Auditory Processing?

There has been a great deal of discussion in recent years about the existence of Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD). Many parents, as well as professionals, are confused about Central Auditory Processing. What is it? How do we use it? How does it impact our lives day-to-day?

In brief, central auditory functioning is our efficiency and accuracy in managing auditory information. It includes issues such as:

• How we focus on what we want to hear
• What we recognize and understand of what we hear
• How the sounds we hear combine with other information in our environment to provide us with information
• How we identify what sounds we don't need to pay attention to
• How we remember and retrieve auditory information
• How we maintain the things we have heard in a useful manner

Some people with Central Auditory Processing Disorders will only have problems with their use of auditory information. Others will have co-existing challenges such as attention deficits, neurological disorders or other identifiable disabilities.

At the Center for Hearing, Speech and Language, we believe that central auditory functioning can impact a person's day-to-day functioning and that strategies to assist persons with central auditory processing can significantly improve their learning, reading and language skills.

Current research is indicating that hearing does not end in the ear. Sound must travel into the person's brain to be analyzed and utilized in daily functioning. Much of "hearing" takes place without the person's awareness, and prior to his/her awareness/acknowledgement of sound. This is a very complex system within the central nervous system, and many children with learning and reading disabilities are being referred to audiologists for hearing evaluations and central auditory processing evaluations.

Key Factors in Identifying Children with CAPD

Typical behaviors of children "at risk" for Central Auditory Processing Disorders have been defined by the Colorado Department of Education's Task Force. These behaviors include:

• Saying "huh" or "what" frequently
• Giving inconsistent responses to auditory stimuli
• Often misunderstanding what is being said
• Constantly requesting that information be repeated
• Poor auditory attention and being easily distracted

Other key components include:

• Difficulty following oral directions
• Difficulty listening in the presence of background noise
• Difficulty with phonics and speech sound discrimination
• Poor auditory memory
• Poor receptive and expressive language
• Slow or delayed response to verbal stimuli
• Confusion of words that sound similar

Consider the Following:

Prior to a Central Auditory Processing Evaluation for your child, the following factors must be considered:

1. Hearing acuity must be within normal functioning ranges. (Most people with hearing losses will have some kinds of central auditory processing difficulties.)
2. Most tests are not normed for children under age seven. Some screening may take place earlier, but a full evaluation cannot be reliably completed prior to the child's seventh birthday.
3. Central Auditory tests are affected by cognitive ability; the child must have cognitive functioning within the normal range.
4. Language skills/competence can impact testing. A child with poor language skills is likely to have more difficulty on central auditory tests, and this must be considered in interpreting the child's skills and deficits.
5. Central Auditory testing should not occur in isolation from other psychoeducational screening or evaluation. All factors, which may impact the child's performance on the tests, must be considered.

For More Information:

Central Auditory Processing Disorders may take many forms and may require differing kinds of intervention and support. There is no cure and there is no one right way to provide support to an individual with identified Central Processing Problems. If you have questions, or want more information on Central Auditory Processing Disorders, please call 303-322-1871.