Sound detection, sound identification, sound discrimination, and sound comprehension are all examples of auditory skills. To put it simply, this means being able to hear, recognize, and comprehend sounds. The majority of auditory work is done with children, but adults can also benefit from it. Listening to and playing music, having conversations and identifying different voice tones, and practicing identifying the differences between similar sounds can all help you improve your auditory skills.
Before attempting to improve a person’s auditory skills, it’s critical to determine whether or not he or she has any hearing or comprehension issues. Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is an example of a condition that prevents a person from processing information they hear. A person with APD can hear sounds, but his or her ears and brain do not work together to interpret and comprehend auditory signals, particularly speech signals. A person with APD would have a much harder time picking out speech amidst other external noise in a noisy environment than they would in an ideal listening environment. If a person has APD, it can be diagnosed an audiologist.
There are several things that can be done to improve a child’s auditory skills if he or she has APD or another auditory condition. However, the child must be healthy and free of any other auditory impairments; otherwise, these techniques may not be effective. Allowing the child to listen to a variety of musical styles and assisting in his or her music appreciation is a good way to start improving auditory skills. Playing and singing songs and rhymes with a child can help them learn to detect different sounds and coordinate their ear and brain’s recognition of different tones.
Simple conversations with a child can also help him or her develop auditory skills. You can have the child respond in various voice intensities during a conversation to ensure that he or she can hear specific sound intensities. It is also beneficial to improve a child’s auditory skills having them respond in specific voice intonations, such as the voice inflection used when asking a question.
Adults can improve their auditory skills as well, but it will be more difficult. Because an adult’s neurological framework has already been established in the brain, it is more difficult to change in adulthood. In neurological terms, a child’s brain is much more “plastic” than an adult’s brain, which means it changes and adapts more easily.
An adult, on the other hand, can benefit from the same types of exercises that children do. Listening to music, particularly tone recognition, can help you improve your auditory skills strengthening the connection between your ear and your brain. If you pay attention to how different people use vocal queues to express meaning, practicing conversation can also be beneficial.