Auditory Processing Studio

****Auditory Processing Studio is a great app for targeting CAPD and other Auditory Processing Disorders. With this app, you can target auditory discrimination, auditory closure, and phonological awareness. If you have students with CAPD or auditory processing disorders, you will definitely want to check out this app! (Carries Speech Corner)****


Auditory Processing Studio was created by a certified speech and language pathologist for adults and children ages 7 and up who exhibit Central Auditory Processing Disorder or other auditory processing disorders. This research-based app implements the bottom-top approach to treatment of auditory processing disorders and focuses on improving auditory processing through auditory discrimination, auditory closure, and phonological awareness activities. Users can also introduce background noise to help children or adults practice their listening skills in a noisy environment.

Auditory Processing Studio employs a bottom-top approach. To complement this app, speech pathologists may consider Auditory Workout, another app developed by Virtual Speech Center, which targets the top-down approach to auditory processing disorder. (The Auditory Workout app was cited in the book by Dr. D. Geffner and Dr. D. Ross-Swain, “Auditor Processing Disorders: Assessment, Management and Treatment”.)
Auditory Processing Studio is an engaging and colorful app that includes over 2,400 audio exercises. It can be easily modified for adults by turning off the child-oriented reward system. Children are welcomed by a boy named Andrew, who encourages them to work hard. Children earn an instrument for each correct response, and when they accumulate enough instruments, they are rewarded with their own music studio. While in the studio, they can play their instruments.

Auditory Processing Studio includes 2450 stimuli in the following activities:

-Auditory Discrimination- 16 levels of difficulty. Each level contains 50 trials; making a total of 800 stimuli.
-Auditory Closure - 17 levels of difficulty. Each level contains 50 trials; making a total of 850 stimuli.
-Phonological Awareness- 16 levels of difficulty. Each level contains 50 trials; making a total of 800 stimuli.

-Figure-Ground - The above activities can be practiced in the presence of competing noise.

Auditory Processing Studio is easy to navigate and allows users to employ several tools, enabling them to perform the following tasks:

-Enter multiple students
-Change settings
-Select levels of difficulty
-Select auto-scoring
-Select alternate counts for multiple students
-Enable or disable the reward
-Enable or disable feedback sounds
-Track correct and incorrect responses
-E-mail results at the end of the game

Background

Treatment of Auditory Processing Disorder
Much research is still needed to understand auditory processing disorders and treatment approaches; however, many studies have shown that frequent, challenging, and intense auditory training that targets the specific auditory deficit or deficits through active participation by the listener in therapy is likely to improve auditory processing (Bellis, 2003).

Intervention for auditory processing disorders should employ both bottom-up and top-down treatment approaches (ASHA, 2005a; Chermak 1998).

REFERENCES

Chermak, G.D. 1998. “Managing central auditory processing
disorders: Metalinguistic and metacognitive approaches.” Seminars in Hearing 19: 379–392.
Bellis, T.J. 2003. “Assessment and Management of Central Auditory Processing Disorders in the Educational Setting from Science to Practice” 2nd edition.
Central Auditory Processing Disorders (technical report): ASHA, 2005a

*Auditory Closure- Level 1 of Auditory Closure may be more appropriate for children then adults as it contains children’s nursery rhymes/songs.