It is important to note that many people without any kind of auditory processing disorder experience problems with learning and behavior from time to time. However, if a person consistently displays difficulties with these tasks over time, testing for auditory processing disorders by trained professionals should be considered.

Auditory Discrimination

The Skill — The ability to notice, compare and distinguish the distinct and separate sounds in words. This skill is vital for reading.

Difficulties you observe

• Learning to read
  
• Distinguishing difference between similar sounds. Example: Seventy and seventeen
  
• Understanding spoken language, following directions and remembering details
  
• Seems to hear but not listen

Types of Helpful Strategies

• Practice rhyming, segmenting words into syllables, segmenting compound words, sound-blending and using similar sounding words (like obvious/oblivious).
  
• Talk to student at a slow pace.
  
• Give student one task at a time.

Auditory Figure-Ground Discrimination

The Skill — The ability to pick out important sounds from a noisy background.

Difficulties you observe

• Distinguishing meaningful sounds from background noise
  
• Staying focused on auditory information being given. Example: following verbal directions

Types of Helpful Strategies

• Provide seating near audio source. Example: front of the class or near a video monitor
  
• Eliminate unnecessary background noise during tasks. Example: TV, stereo, outdoor noise

Auditory Memory

The Skill — There are two kinds of auditory memory

• Long-term auditory memory is the ability to remember something heard some time ago
• Short-term auditory memory is the ability to recall something heard very recently

Difficulties you observe

• Remembering people's names
  
• Memorizing telephone numbers
  
• Following multi-step directions
  
• Recalling stories or songs

Types of Helpful Strategies

• Offer written material to accompany lectures.
  
• Strengthen note-taking skills.
  
• Provide visual cues to differentiate information-for example, using different colored chalks to emphasize the most important material on the board or hand signals when moving on to another topic.

Auditory Sequencing

The Skill — The ability to understand and recall the order of words.

Difficulties you observe

• Confusing multi-digit numbers, such as 74 and 47
  
• Confusing lists and other types of sequences 
  
• Remembering the correct order of a series of instructions

Types of Helpful Strategies

• Provide written materials to accompany verbal instruction.
  
• Use images or gestures to reinforce understanding and memory of a sequence or list.