In a post on the Center for Hearing and Communication blog, I wrote about how difficult listening is for everyone. It's easy to become frustrated with a son, daughter, student, or client who often isn't listening. But I think when you consider the points in that post, it's much easier to strengthen your compassion, patience, and understanding for children who struggle with auditory processing challenges or APD. Hearing is easy, but listening is hard: because it requires attention and an entirely different process in the brain. My post was inspired by a recent New York Times piece, The Science and Art of Listening that explains just why it can be difficult to to listen. The process of listening is quite complex and actually very intriguing. There's a reason why, in a noisy environment like a baseball game, you won't ...Read more

Ever thought about how you read to children? Having a child's rapt attention as you turn the pages of a favorite book is a beautiful and classic moment, whether you're a speech language pathologist, educator, or a parent. It's also one of the best and simplest ways to strengthen listening skills. I have one simple tip for you that will supercharge the listening exercise of story time. It's so simple it's almost laughable. When most people read to children, they hold the book out so they can read and the child can look at the pictures at the same time. But I always suggest this: Hold the book facing you as you read each page -- THEN turn the book so the kids can see. Why is this a big deal? Because this way, the child has to listen to follow the story. And what they just heard ...Read more

App Sale and a Memory Game -- "What now?"

"Okay kids, find your favorite color pencil, open your book to page 9, and pick what animal you're going to talk about today! And don't forget to move your bookmark!" Would your child be able to listen, process, and carry out those steps? Or would he have to check around to see what his neighbors are doing, slipping into a pattern of following his peers? All children sometimes have trouble following directions. Children with language or listening difficulties struggle a lot more. Since school is FULL of spoken directives, auditory sequential memory skills must be mastered. ListenLoveLearn methods include lots of special ways to help kids listen to, remember, and execute sequential steps. The One Step Two Step memory game for iPad app combines these successful techniques into one, fun game. There's a Lite version for ...Read more