Disability Scenarios

Auditory Processing Learning Disability

Disability Description and Career Possibilities:
This student reads well and is good with numbers, but she often has difficulty understanding spoken language.  For example, she forgets names, can't always follow conversations, and oral directions confuse her.  At times, she is distracted by extraneous noise in the classroom and also loses focus and concentration in any kind of prolonged discussion such as talking with another student, her employer or her husband.  She often mishears or mispronounces words.  For example the words "frustrated" and "flustered" become "flustrated.”  She may hear "stack the dishes" for "wash the dishes."  

Students with weak auditory processing skills can succeed in a college or work environment and many obtain higher degrees leading to successful employment in fields like computer technology, education, business and research.

Basic Access Needs for Classrooms and Lab:
In class, this student may need to sit near the instructor at the front of the room, tape certain portions of a lecture or utilize a peer note taker.  In some cases, a written outline or a copy of the instructor's lecture notes may prove helpful.

Test taking:
The student's auditory processing problems and high distractibility may make it necessary for her to take tests outside the classroom in a quiet environment and with additional time.  The specialist will authorize testing accommodations, when appropriate, for a given semester and provide the student with a form to be signed by the instructor.  On this form, the instructor determines how the test will be delivered to Learning Assistance and subsequently returned to his office and whether the student may use her notes, a dictionary, thesaurus, calculator or other materials during the test.

Learning Strategies: 
The Learning Assistance Program’s Instructional Lab has resources that can help this student.  In this quiet study environment with the latest computer technology, instructional aides can provide strategies aimed at increasing attention and concentration as well as note taking techniques to make this student a more active learner in the classroom.

Technology:
The student may utilized voice recognition programs, screen readers, thought organization software, spelling/grammar checkers, etc. depending on their specific learning disability.