SPD Month Series, Part 4 of 5: Auditory Processing

Red Flags for Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

October is Sensory Processing Disorder Awareness Month. Each Tuesday in October, we will share some of the “red flags” of SPD.

Many parents of children with sensory processing difficulties report feeling that something was “off” with their child, but they were unable to identify the source. The following list includes some of the red flags we as occupational therapists look for when evaluating a child for sensory dysfunction. If you are concerned about your child’s development and ability to process sensory input, speak with your pediatrician, or give us a call at the Center to discuss the potential need for an evaluation.

Signs of Auditory Dysfunction:

Please note that auditory problems should be screened by a pediatrician or hearing specialist, to rule out any hearing impairments. A child who is over responsive to auditory input may find typical household sounds to be overwhelming or painful. Other children are under responsive to this input and may have difficulty filtering out pertinent auditory input from background noises or appear to not hear well even though there is nothing physically impairing their hearing.

Does your child:

• Become distracted or bothered by background noise other children do not notice?
• Show fear of typical household and community sounds, such as toilets flushing, an automatic hand dryer, vacuum or hair dryer?
• Frequently ask people to stop talking or singing because of the noise?
• Seem oblivious to certain sounds that other children notice?
• Need directions repeated or frequently ask “What?”

Last Week: The Proprioceptive System

Next Week: The Visual System and Olfactory System