Services

At the Hearing Teacher, we provide deficit-specific auditory training therapy using approaches designed to retrain the auditory centers of the brain.  Auditory processing intervention requires a 3-tiered approach.  In addition to auditory training, The Hearing Teacher teaches compensatory strategies that can be used at home and in school and provides recommendations for classroom modifications to facilitate classroom learning.

Learning to Read…Reading to Learn!   Studies indicate that when evaluating academic performance, over 80% of struggling students will test poorly on auditory skills. For many children with dyslexia, the auditory processing pathways are underdeveloped.  Auditory processing is a lower-level skill that is critical in the development of reading.  The Hearing Teacher, L3C provides school-based…

Brain Training through Music! The Hearing Teacher encourages all clients to participate in our Brain Training through Music program.  Studies indicate that playing instrumental music improves our ability to understand speech in the presence of noise, improves working memory, and improves cognitive function.   Brain Training through Music is a three-month, online, music training program.  Musicians practice the…

It is an unfortunate reality that as we age, we all experience a decrease in our ability to process auditory information. This is because the auditory nervous system becomes less flexible with age.  In addition, many of us will experience high frequency hearing loss and/or tinnitus.  Both will contrubute to difficulty with understanding speech in the presence of noise.…

Although the causes are speculative, it is fairly common for children on the autism spectrum to exhibit deficits in auditory processing.  Common symptoms for auditory processing deficits among individuals with ASD include: 1. Difficulty understanding speech, particularly when listening with other distractions present 2. Discomfort or sensitivity to sounds 3. Difficulty with rhythm, pitch, and…

It is estimated that 1 in 5 children will struggle to learn to read effectively when entering school.  Common warning signs of a child who has dyslexia includes delayed speech, mixing up the sounds or syllables in words, a history of chronic ear infections, difficulty rhyming, difficulty memorizing, and difficulty spelling. We know from research…

Almost all children will experience an ear infection at some point in their early development.  When children have recurrent middle ear infections their hearing often fluctuates, making it difficult for them to receive a consistent and clear speech signal.  The early ages of 0-3 are critical for the development of effective listening and language skills. …

Misophonia is thought to be a neurological disorder where common, ordinary sounds, such as someone else chewing or breathing loudly, are perceived as extremely irritating, causing a fight-or-flight response in the listener. These sounds may cause an increase in anxiety and the feeling of panic.   People with misophonia generally have typical hearing but exhibit a…

Studies have shown a disruption of basic auditory skills among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.  Common auditory deficits include difficulty perceiving changes in pitch, difficulty understanding and poor tolerance when listening in noise, and difficulty remembering information learned through listening.   Understanding subtle auditory cues is important in a range of social environments.  Individuals who struggle…

It has been estimated that approximately 58 percent of people who have traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have acquired central auditory deficits as a result of the injury  (Int J Audiol 2005;44[1]:39-49).  Studies indicate that the most common complaint following a closed head injury is, in fact, hearing loss and tinnitus. The impact of a central…

A Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD or APD) is a ‘glitch’ in the brain’s ability to process or understand sounds and words.     In other words, it is “what the brain does with what the ears hear” (Jack Katz, 1994) When we talk about “auditory processing”, we are referring to the way in which your…

DIAGNOSIS THAT MAY IMPACT THE ABILITY TO PROCESS AUDITORY INFORMATION Middle Ear Infections Dyslexia Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Autism Aging Misophonia (discomfort with sounds) Schizophrenia