When the Brain Can't Hear: Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Processing Disorder

by Teri James Bellis

Elementary-school children with APD may • Behave as if a hearing loss is present, despite normal hearing acuity, especially in noisy environments • Demonstrate greater difficulty with verbal than nonverbal tasks, with verbal IQ lower than performance IQ • Demonstrate significant scatter, or fluctuation in ability levels, across tests of speech, language, or cognitive processes, with weaknesses in those areas considered to be more auditory in nature • Exhibit a delay in the content, use, or form of language • Exhibit articulation errors that persist longer than they should • Be distractible • Refuse to participate in classroom discussions or, conversely, offer inappropriate or off-topic contributions • Exhibit difficulty following multistep directions • Demonstrate poor reading or spelling skills • Have a history of chronic ear infections, head trauma, or other ear- or brain-related condition • Exhibit poor music or singing skills • Require a high degree of external organization in the classroom to begin and complete required tasks • Exhibit poor social communication skills or difficulty making and keeping friends • Rely heavily on memorization when learning new information or skills • Demonstrate inappropriate behavior, including withdrawal, acting out, tantruming, clowning, or playing instead of completing the task at hand • Express frustration with certain tasks, such as saying “I can't do this” or “I don't understand” • Demonstrate poor problem-solving skills • Perform ...