Auditory Processing Disorder

When a student has Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) it means they can struggle with any verbal information given in the classroom.

They will struggle to retain verbal information, for example, only remembering one instruction from a list of three instructions given by the teacher.
Noise in the classroom can interfere with the students ability to focus on what the teacher is saying, such as, two classmates quietly talking near the student with APD, or a noisy heater.
The student can also struggle to keep up with the speed of speech as it takes them longer to process the verbal information meaning they can fall behind in a classroom lesson or be slow to follow speech in a social setting.

Giving a student with poor auditory processing the time to process verbal information, to reduce surrounding noise and reducing the verbal load on their memory by giving simple, concise, instructions backed by visual support will make a difference in the classroom.

Classroom accommodations

Ministry of Education - Auditory Processing Disorder Information

The Ministry of Educaiton have released a document that refers to Auditory Processing Disorder.

Ministry Information

This document provides information about:

What is Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)?
How does Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) affect learning?
How do I know if a student has APD or they are just not listening?
What school and classroom strategies can help students to hear?
What should I do if I suspect a student has APD?
What support is available through the Ministry of Education?
Eligibility for specialist assistive technology