How Our Auditory System Affects Learning: Underlying Causes of Autism and Processing Disorders

Today, we are faced with many labels or conditions that affect learning. Many have a partial underlying cause in our auditory system, including autism spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD, developmental delay, dyslexia, central auditory processing disorder, and auditory processing disorder.

Hypersensitivity to sounds can cause a person to reject sounds as a defensive mechanism and behave as if deaf. On the other hand, the same sensitivity can cause another to scream and cover their ears. Learning will be hampered until these sensitivities normalize.

Another difficulty arises when there is fluid in the ear. Since the Eustachian tubes in young children are more horizontal, fluid can accumulate and bacteria can grow in this warm, moist environment. The pressure of the fluid can cause pressure and pain, an earache. Repeated ear infections during the first two years of life can greatly affect the development of the auditory system. During an infection, the individual hears as if they are underwater and the sounds are not consistent. This, in turn, can cause receptive hearing problems, as well as speech problems. Treating these ear infections without antibiotics or tubes will greatly improve learning.

Difficulty following oral instructions and learning to read using phonetics represent just two problems reflected in low auditory sequential processing. When an individual has low auditory sequential processing, they cannot remember a series of information long enough to use that information. For example, a person should be able to look up a phone number or be told a phone number long enough to dial the phone. When parents ask their children to make a short list of chores and within minutes they forget what they were supposed to do and get involved in another activity, often play, parents often assume this is disobedience. It could be disobedience, but it could also be low auditory sequential processing. When a child utters a relatively short word, but ultimately cannot pronounce it, it is often due to poor auditory sequential processing. Optimally, the solution to these difficulties is not to accommodate a deficit, but to increase auditory sequential processing.

Another major underlying cause for many of these children (and adults) is metabolic, diet/nutrition related. Often these children have what is called “leaky gut syndrome,” which means that nutrients cannot be easily absorbed for use in the body. There are many options to consider. Elimination diets often eliminate offending foods. Other diets work to solve the problem; some repairing leaky gut and others restoring the balance between nutrients. Families should research the alternatives and find the one that works best for their family.

Neurodevelopmental specialists look for the underlying causes of missing developmental pieces and recommend activities and resources for families, guiding them toward solutions.