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Auditory Processing Tools
Auditory Processing Tools

Auditory Processing

Over the past 13 years The Speech Den’s team has developed their expertise in supporting children, teens and adults with Auditory Processing Difficulties.

Cathy Shilling and Tori Gunn specialise in assessment, management and intervention for those with Auditory Processing Difficulties.

We can assess for Auditory Processing Difficulties and if felt appropriate refer on to other multidisciplinary assessment centres for Auditory Processing Disorder.

What is an Auditory Processing Difficulty?

Auditory Processing

Auditory Processing is the medical term for listening, it is how our brains interpret sound- both speech and non speech sounds. It is not the physical ability to hear, but what happens when sound travels down along the neural networks from our ears to our brain.

Many children, young people and adults pass hearing tests but report some challenges for example following instructions, hearing sounds in words and filtering out unwanted background noise.

Many children and young people also have other identified needs such as Developmental Language Disorders, Speech Disorder, dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, dyspraxia etc.

What challenges do children or young people have with Auditory Processing Difficulties?

  • listening and hearing (despite passing hearing checks), especially if there’s a lot of background noise and distractions
  • following verbal and written instructions
  • concentrating and staying focused – for example, they might be easily distracted
  • remembering spoken instructions
  • telling the difference between letters that sound similar, like ‘p’ and ‘b’, or ‘t’ and ‘d’
  • remembering to say the beginning or end sounds of words when they’re reading.
  • May not easily “localise” where sound is coming from
  • May find it harder to “listen and do”

This means that Auditory Processing Difficulties can appear as problems with attention, learning, listening, social interaction and communication, as well as reading and writing.

What we offer?

Auditory Processing

As a team we have a range of questionnaires which may help to decide if further investigation of Auditory Processing is needed, we have access to a range of speech and non speech assessments and resources to help unravel the complexity of Auditory Processing Difficulties. NB we do NOT diagnose Auditory Processing Disorder- this can only be diagnosed by a few highly specialist testing centres across the UK. We can however recommend referral to specialist testing centres if felt appropriate.

Report Writing

Our reports are detailed providing information identifying the issues the client is facing, how best to help both at home and preschool/school/College/workplace. We offer clear guidance and strategies to support auditory processing needs. Our aim is to empower our clients so that the individual understands the nature of the auditory processing difficulty and the next steps to support them.

If an auditory processing need is identified we will often recommend the Johansen Individualised Auditory Stimulation Programme (JIAS).

Auditory Processing TRainING

Working with Listening and Auditory Processing Difficulties

This course will be 4 half day Zoom sessions and is for professionals working with children who have listening and concentration difficulties.

It would be of value to teachers, educational professionals, speech and language therapists and other educational health professions who would like to extend their knowledge and understanding of:

  • Current UK developments in assessing and managing Auditory Processing Disorders
  • Assessments which can be used to identify different profiles of difficulty
  • Interpreting standardised assessment results
  •  Using and scoring assessments and results discussion
  • Planning intervention and management in the light of individual profiles

Working with Listening and Auditory Processing Difficulties Dates:

  • Group 1 sessions – 1pm – 4:30pm:
    Monday 6th March 2023
    Tuesday 7th March 2023
    Monday 20th March 2023
    Tuesday 21st March 2023

  • Group 2 sessions – 9:30am – 1pm:
    Wednesday 4th October 2023
    Thursday 5th October 2023
    Wednesday 18th October 2023
    Thursday 19th October 2023

Total Cost – £250
(£225 if registered and paid one month before start date)

Johansen Individualised Auditory Stimulation Programme (JIAS)

Johansen IAS is specifically designed to gently change and organise auditory processing by stimulating the nerve pathways into and within the brain – in particular the areas dealing with language.

Johansen IAS can be of benefit to children as young as three years old, adolescents and adults.

Johansen IAS addresses underlying processing which helps noticing, discrimination and organisation of the detail of sound.

Better processing of the detail of sound increases concentration and attention, allowing more efficient learning.

Following Johansen IAS, changes are also often seen in general composure, motivation and associated skills leading to increased confidence and self-esteem.

Research suggests that stimulation is an important requirement for the maturation and changes in auditory processing that support speech, language and literacy development.

The individually customised, focused stimulation of Johansen IAS can contribute to the successful management of Listening and Auditory Processing Difficulties.

Johansen IAS recordings are customised according to information obtained from individual assessment, including audiometry where appropriate.

Johansen IAS is one of very few Sound therapies that both individualises the music that the client listens to and allows the client to listen at home for only 10 minutes daily.

“It’s such a pleasure to work with you Cathy! Well, more than a pleasure, I don’t know what we would do without you – you have helped so many children – we are all immensely grateful!”

Contacting The Speech Den:

You can contact the service between 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday – Friday

Telephone enquiries: 07876 537213 or 01242 539016

Email enquiries: enquiries@thespeechden.com