Auditory Processing Disorder & Reading: How APD Affects Kids

Does your child struggle with reading? Do they have difficulty following instructions or get easily distracted in noisy environments? While there could be many reasons for these challenges, one possibility to consider is Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). APD is a condition that affects how the brain processes sounds, making it difficult for children to make sense of the information they hear. This can significantly impact their ability to learn and, in particular, their reading skills. In this blog post, we’ll explore how APD affects reading and discuss strategies for supporting children with APD on their reading journey.

Auditory processing is how our brains understand the sounds we hear. It’s like a special system that helps us recognize sounds, tell them apart, and figure out what they mean. But sometimes, this system doesn’t work perfectly for everyone. This is called auditory processing disorder (APD).

Imagine your brain is a super computer. It receives tons of information all the time, and it needs to sort through it quickly to understand what’s going on. For our brains, listening is like a super important job. We use our ears to hear sounds, and then our brain processes those sounds to figure out what they mean. But sometimes, some kids have a little glitch in their “listening” system. This glitch is called Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). It means their brain has a bit of trouble understanding the sounds they hear, even if their ears are working just fine. It’s like the computer gets a little mixed up with the messages it’s receiving. This can make it harder for kids with APD to follow directions, pay attention in class, and learn to read.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) can significantly impact a child’s reading abilities in several ways. While it may not affect their intelligence, APD can make it challenging for children to process and interpret the sounds of language, which are crucial for reading success. This can lead to difficulties in various areas, including phonemic awareness, auditory memory, auditory attention, and auditory discrimination. Understanding how APD affects reading is essential for identifying the specific challenges a child may be facing and providing appropriate support and interventions.

Difficulty distinguishing between similar sounds

One of the key challenges for kids with APD is distinguishing between similar sounds. This is particularly problematic when it comes to reading. For example, they may struggle to hear the difference between words like ‘cat’ and ‘bat‘, or ‘pat’ and ‘pack’. These subtle differences in sounds are crucial for understanding the meaning of words and building a strong foundation in phonics. When children with APD have difficulty differentiating between these sounds, it can lead to confusion, frustration, and ultimately hinder their reading progress.

Trouble blending sounds to make words

Blending sounds together to form words is another crucial skill for reading that can be impacted by APD. Children with APD might struggle to merge individual sounds like /c/ /a/ /t/ to form the word “cat”. This difficulty can hinder their ability to decode new words, making reading a slow and laborious process. They may rely heavily on guessing words based on context or pictures, which can be unreliable and impede their reading comprehension.

Difficulty remembering what they hear

Auditory memory, the ability to recall information that has been heard, is another area where kids with APD often struggle. This can make it challenging to follow multi-step directions, remember sequences in a story, or recall details from a lesson. For reading, this means they might forget the beginning of a sentence by the time they reach the end, or lose track of the plot in a longer story. This places a significant strain on their reading comprehension and can make reading an exhausting and frustrating task.

Trouble following along with stories

Following along with stories requires a combination of auditory processing skills. Children with APD may struggle to keep up with the pace of the narrative, especially if the speaker is fast or there are long pauses between sentences. They might miss important details, misunderstand the sequence of events, or lose track of the characters. This can make it difficult for them to understand the story’s meaning and enjoy the reading experience. As a result, children with APD may avoid reading altogether or prefer books with simpler narratives and shorter sentences.

Difficulty paying attention when there’s a lot of noise

Navigating a noisy environment can be particularly challenging for children with APD. Their brains may struggle to filter out background sounds and focus on the primary speaker or source of information. In a classroom setting, this can make it difficult to pay attention to the teacher’s instructions or follow along with discussions. During reading activities, background noise can be a significant distraction, making it harder to concentrate on the text and comprehend the content. This can lead to frustration, fatigue, and a decreased interest in reading for children with APD.

Navigating the world of reading can be a daunting task for children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), but with the right strategies and support, they can absolutely become successful readers. It’s important to remember that APD doesn’t affect intelligence; it simply means their brains process auditory information differently. By understanding their unique needs and implementing targeted interventions, we can empower children with APD to overcome challenges, develop strong reading skills, and discover the joy of reading.

Improve phonemic awareness, auditory memory and attention

Improving phonemic awareness, auditory memory, and attention in children with APD often involves a combination of targeted exercises and strategies. Phonemic awareness can be enhanced through activities like sound isolation, blending, and segmentation. For example, children can practice identifying the beginning or ending sound in a word, blending individual sounds to form words, or breaking words down into individual sounds. Auditory memory can be strengthened through games and activities that involve recalling sequences of sounds, words, or sentences. For instance, children can listen to a series of words and repeat them back in the same order, or listen to a short story and answer comprehension questions about the details. Attention can be improved through exercises that require focused listening, such as following auditory instructions, completing listening comprehension tasks, or playing auditory attention games. These activities can help children with APD develop the foundational skills necessary for successful reading.

Use an Orton-Gillingham, Structured Literacy Approach

Children with APD can greatly benefit from learning to read using the Orton-Gillingham approach, a multisensory, structured literacy method. This approach explicitly teaches the connections between letters and sounds, breaking down reading and spelling into smaller, more manageable steps. The multisensory aspect engages visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (movement) pathways, reinforcing learning for children who struggle with auditory processing alone. Orton-Gillingham also emphasizes repetition and practice, helping to strengthen memory and automaticity for children with APD who may have difficulty retaining information. This structured, sequential, and cumulative approach provides the necessary support for children with APD to develop strong foundational reading skills and become confident, independent readers.

Multisensory Reading Instruction

Multisensory reading instruction can be particularly beneficial for children with auditory processing disorder (APD) as it engages multiple senses, reinforcing learning and compensating for their auditory challenges. By incorporating visual, auditory, and tactile elements, this approach provides children with various ways to access and process information. For example, they can see the letters and words written down, hear them spoken aloud, and even trace or manipulate letter shapes. This multisensory input helps to strengthen neural pathways and create a more robust memory for the information being learned. It also caters to different learning styles, allowing children with APD to engage with reading in a way that feels comfortable and accessible to them. Ultimately, multisensory instruction can enhance their phonemic awareness, phonics skills, and overall reading comprehension, leading to greater success and confidence in reading.

Read with Decodable Books

Children with auditory processing disorder (APD) can greatly benefit from reading with decodable books. These books are specifically designed to support the development of phonics skills, which is an area where children with APD often struggle. Decodable books present words in a carefully controlled manner, introducing new sounds and letter patterns gradually and systematically. This allows children to practice decoding words based on the phonetic rules they are learning, rather than relying on guessing or memorization. By using decodable books, children with APD can build a strong foundation in phonics, improve their reading fluency, and develop confidence in their ability to read independently.

Create a Supportive Reading Environment

Creating a supportive reading environment is crucial for children with APD. Minimizing distractions is key, as background noise can significantly interfere with their ability to focus on the text. Choose a quiet, well-lit space for reading, and consider using noise-canceling headphones or soft background music to help block out distractions. Make sure the child is comfortable and has good posture, as physical discomfort can further hinder their concentration. Offer positive reinforcement and encouragement, praising their efforts and progress. Choose reading materials that are engaging and at an appropriate reading level, starting with shorter texts and gradually increasing the complexity as their skills develop. By creating a supportive and positive reading environment, you can help children with APD feel more confident and motivated to engage with reading.

We Have a Resource for You!

Thank you for reading this post today. You might also enjoy reading our previous post:

Multisensory Red Word Activities for Every Learner

Please don’t leave without checking out the PRIDE Reading Program. This Orton-Gillingham, structured literacy curriculum is used by teachers, tutors, and parents worldwide with great success.

Karina Richland, M.A., is the author of the PRIDE Reading Program, a multisensory Orton-Gillingham reading, writing, and comprehension curriculum that is available worldwide for parents, tutors, teachers, and homeschoolers of struggling readers. Karina has an extensive background in working with students of all ages and various learning modalities. She has spent many years researching learning differences and differentiated teaching practices. You can reach her by email at info@pridereadingprogram.com or visit the website at www.pridereadingprogram.com