Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders

Auditory and Visual Processing Disorder

Often within classroom environments, as well as at home, children learn through visual and auditory perception. Visual and auditory processing are key ways to learn; they are used for recognizing and interpreting information taken from the two senses of sound as well as sight. So clearly it is understood that having this disorder can make it a bit more difficult and troublesome to learn through vision and hearing, but definitely not impossible.

Visual Processing Disorder, also known as Perceptual Disorder, is defined as “a hindered ability to make sense of information’s taken in through the eyes.” (National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) 1999) http://www.ldonline.org/article/6390/ This does not mean that a person has problems with their sight or their vision, it just means that their brain has a tougher time interpreting and processing what they see visually. A common area affected is spatial relation. This is the “position of objects in space as well as the ability to accurately perceive objects in space with reference to other objects.” (National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) 1999) http://www.ldonline.org/article/6390/. This can make reading and mathematics difficult to comprehend and understand, since both subjects deal with lots of symbols like numbers and punctuation marks. Often, however, most problems occur within math. In order to succeed in math, a person with this learning disorder must learn to associate the digit or sign by making a common relationship between them.

Visual Discrimination is “using the sense of sight to notice and compare the features of different items to distinguish one item from another” (NCLD Editorial Team, 2014) http://www.ncld.o...

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...ositive and building the child’s self-esteem, so they do not give up on themselves. (The Nemours Foundation 1995-2014)

The cause of visual and auditory processing disorders is multi-faceted. A combination of genetics, environmental stressors, trauma and neurochemical imbalance are likely the reasons why these children suffer. If the cause is multi-faceted, so too should be the care of these children. A program designed to balance body chemistry with quality nutrition, environment stress with a safe surrounding and traumatic brain issues with the proper medical evaluation and treatment. Teachers and psychology professionals need to work together to implement and modify learning strategies as needed on a one-on-one basis with each child. This may not be cost effective or easy, but it is the right thing to do to release the full potential of these young people.