What is Literacy?

First, let’s cover the basics. What is literacy in relation to pediatric therapy? Literacy is the ability to read, write, comprehend, and effectively communicate in a written form. Literacy is not only basic “decoding” (aka, sounding out when reading) and “encoding” (aka, spelling), but it is also a child’s capacity to understand, listen, interpret, and critically analyze information. In essence, literacy is a language-based skill that begins first by hearing the information and then assigning meaning to the information, whether the meaning is conceptual or symbolic.

What Is Auditory Processing?

Auditory processing is the brain’s ability to make sense and interpret sounds that are heard. It’s a complex system that requires the perception, the discrimination, and the comprehension of auditory information. It includes recognizing and interpreting sounds in space, filtering background noise, localizing sounds in space, and understanding language. These skills are crucial for various aspects of communication and learning. An auditory processing disorder can significantly impact literacy skills based on how an individual interprets and processes information, including speech sounds and language. 

Auditory Processing Disorders in Action

Here is an example of a child with an auditory processing disorder and how this may look in the classroom. A teacher instructs a child to spell “did,” and while the child hears “did,” their brain processes the word “fib,” leading them to write F-I-B. This showcases how the child’s auditory system can impact their ability to accurately encode or spell words, affecting comprehension when used in a sentence. This child might or might not discern the difference between the two words. If a child struggles to distinguish them, this could indicate an underlying auditory processing disorder warranting further attention. In addition to not being able to distinguish between similar-sounding words, another example of an auditory processing disorder is a difficulty with phonemic awareness tasks, which are the foundation for reading. This can manifest as a  difficulty manipulating sounds and identifying sounds in words, which are critical in developing early reading and writing skills. Oftentimes by kindergarten, we expect children to be able to identify the sounds that make up words. 

The Power and Importance of Audiologists

At Dynamic Therapy Specialists, our specially trained audiologists evaluate and provide intervention for children with auditory processing disorders. Audiologists are the only professionals who are able to provide an auditory processing disorder diagnosis. While other professionals can provide information about your child’s auditory weaknesses, audiologists are the only professionals who can provide an official diagnosis. Our audiologists ensure that your child’s hearing ability is within normal limits. From there they evaluate how your child’s brain reacts to sounds, how the brain processes sounds, and how it makes sense of sounds in relation to language. If you have concerns about your child’s auditory processing abilities or their literacy abilities, call Dynamic Therapy Specialists. We will perform an in-depth analysis of your child’s difficulties and build a foundation from there.