Auditory processing disorder (APD) in children is the manner in which a child’s central nervous system makes use of auditory information. It is an auditory deficit rather than a consequence of higher-order language, cognitive and related disorders. Nonetheless, there are cases when APD comes along with other sensory-related conditions.



APD in children is manifested through difficulty in listening and related problems. For instance, they may fail to follow directions, differentiate corresponding sounds and above all, fail to understand speech in any noisy setting. These children tend to behave as if they are victims of hearing loss. They also have certain difficulties in reading, spelling and listening to verbal texts. However, these symptoms alone cannot be used to diagnose APD since a child may exhibit them yet their nervous system is fully intact.

APD can be treated and taught using the Orton Gill-Ingham method. This is a technique that gauges their class performance on other aspects rather than their listening skills. Note that this is the best way to evaluate their progress since they have the potential to complete all tasks in time as long as they are informed of the results expected from them.

The Orton GillIngham method is a multisensory structured language program. In addition to phonology and its awareness, the learner is introduced to association of sounds and symbols. Their instructed using syllables and morphology. After completion of this program, a child ailing from APD can fit in the ordinary classroom and even perform better than their classmates.