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Auditory training helps people learn to identify and distinguish sounds, and is supervised by an audiologist or speech pathologist. Hearing aids and cochlear implants require auditory training to be effective, and people with auditory processing disorders can also benefit from it. Hearing training may also be beneficial for patients with autism spectrum disorders and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Auditory training is a process that involves teaching the brain to listen. People without hearing impairment and auditory processing disorder learn to listen naturally at a very young age and may not remember this process. During this type of training, people are provided with auditory stimulation and coaching that helps them learn to identify and distinguish sounds. Hearing training is usually supervised by an audiologist or speech pathologist.
People with hearing impairments may choose to wear hearing aids or cochlear implants to improve their hearing. These devices can be worn full time or part of the time, depending on the patient’s preference, and the patient can choose to continue using sign language and other communication techniques in addition to speaking. However, simply inserting an implant or hearing aid is not enough. The device must be adjusted so that the patient can hear comfortably and the patient must learn to interpret sounds entering the ear. This requires auditory training, with patients listening to music, spoken words, and other auditory stimuli.
When these devices are initially installed, it can be overwhelming. A stream of noise enters the ear and the brain has a hard time interpreting it. Over time, auditory training allows the patient to discriminate between different sounds and to attach meaning to the sounds. For example, car horns have evolved from loud, unpleasant noises to warning signals that warn people of dangers. Without training, devices such as hearing aids are not very useful for the patient.
People with auditory processing disorders can also benefit from auditory training. In an auditory processing disorder, your hearing works well, but your brain has trouble making sense of information. A speech therapist works with the patient to help them identify sounds, distinguish them, and develop listening skills. Such training can also be provided to people recovering from strokes and other injuries that impede auditory processing or damage hearing.
Some people have suggested that hearing training may also be beneficial for patients with autism spectrum disorders and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. While it hasn’t been formally approved by professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, this treatment may be an option to consider. This type of training can help auditory-sensitive patients cope with the world around them, and can also improve communication skills and help patients feel more comfortable in noisy environments. It is important to note that treatments such as hearing training are not cures, but rather approaches to management that can help people cope with their environment.
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