Accommodate Auditory Processing Deficits

Did you know that as much as 85 to 90 percent of classroom instruction is delivered by lecture and discussion? Verbal, or language-based, intelligence is an important part of most school activities.

Students with auditory processing deficits typically have lower scores on the verbal parts of intelligence and aptitude tests. They may have difficulty understanding spoken information, written language, or both. Even under the best circumstances, they are likely to be confused and frustrated at least part of the time in classrooms where the dominant form of instruction is spoken or language-based.

Fortunately, there are some effective strategies to help students cope with language processing demands in school and when doing homework.

Communication problems resulting from language deficits can affect students' social relationships and interaction with family. Practice on developing social skills can help.

In college, students with receptive language difficulty are at a particular disadvantage because lecture is still the dominant form of instruction at that level. Students are expected to read and understand large volumes of reading with very little time to process the material, and it is critical that they learn to advocate for themselves. They can also benefit from developing study groups.