Some parents may be overwhelmed if their child has been diagnosed with a Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Often, these children have struggled in school for many years without progressing like their peers. By the time they have a diagnosis, parents are happy to know why their child is struggling but they ultimately want their children to get the help that they deserve. Many individuals still do not understand the necessity of academic accommodations for a Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). Children with CAPD have more difficulty in school compared to their peers because it is harder for them to learn in a typical school environment. An outdated perspective by some is that since a child does not have a hearing loss, they do not need services in school. CAPD is not seen on a hearing test, since it is a central, not peripheral issue. There are very good diagnostic tests that an audiologist can use to help diagnose not only CAPD, but the specific type as well. A few common difficulties that those with CAPD have are: difficulty identifying and distinguishing certain sounds, trouble following oral instructions, and difficulty understanding speech in the presence of background noise. These issues will absolutely make school more difficult for a child with APD especially without the appropriate accommodations.
A decision from the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals almost 10 years ago has determined that in the state of Arizona, Auditory Processing Disorder is a “specific learning disability” under IDEA. Those with a specific learning disability require accommodations and direct services. A school district should absolutely be providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations at school if a student has been diagnosed with an Auditory Processing Disorder by an audiologist. The audiologist is qualified to look at the specific type of APD and determine which accommodations are most beneficial and necessary.
One of the most common and useful accommodations for CAPD is a remote microphone system that sends the teacher’s voice directly to the student’s ear. This will help the child to hear the teacher more clearly and be able to pick up on the specific speech sounds that are hard for them to distinguish, especially in the presence of the typical background classroom noise. Often, classrooms have a background noise level of 45 to 60 dB (Savchuk, 2021). Typical conversation levels are 50 to 60 dB. This makes it very difficult for students with CAPD to hear and understand a teacher in a typical classroom setting. A remote microphone system is highly beneficial for those with CAPD. Research has shown that brain wave responses to sound (auditory cortical potentials) have proven that on ear remote microphone systems improve the clarity of soft sounds. Some examples of soft sounds are f, t, p, k, th, and h. The on-ear microphone systems have also been shown to improve the consistency of neural responses to sound which means that when a ‘b’ sound is said, the child actually hears a ‘b’ sound instead of a similar sound like a ‘d.’ These are not only short term effects, they lead to long term benefits as well. After a year of use, students with on-ear remote microphone systems have been shown to have improvements in a variety of areas of auditory processing, including, speech perception in quiet, auditory working memory, speech in noise perception, frequency discrimination, frequency pattern recognition, binaural temporal resolution, consistency of auditory brainstem responses to speech, amplitude and latency of cortical auditory evoked potentials, and self-perceived listening ability.
Other accommodations can be utilized as well, such as, preferential seating, visual aids, the use of a note taker, recording lectures for the student to watch again, giving students notes or slides before the lesson, and allowing a separate quiet room for test taking. Ultimately, the students should be given the tools they need to succeed. These simple, yet effective accommodations can make a drastic improvement for a student.
Hornickel et al., 2012; Friederichs & Friederichs, 2005; Smart, Purdy, & Kelly, 2010; Smart, Purdy, & Kelly, 2018; Umat et al., 2011; Yip & Rickard, 2011; Sharma et al., 2012; Johnson et al., 2009.
Savchuk, A. (2021, October 14). What is the decibel level of the noise in a typical classroom. Decibel Meter App | Best Digital Sound Level Meter For Your Smartphone. https://decibelpro.app/blog/decibel-level-of-noise-in-classroom/
