Difficulty picking out necessary and relevant sounds from extraneous background noises.
| Symptoms | Strategies |
|---|---|
| Student is easily distracted by extraneous noise (outside and inside classroom: hum of fluorescent lighting, etc.). | – Seat student near area of instruction. – Provide the child with quiet space for times when classroom noises are clearly distracting. – Earphones might be used during test periods. – Use quiet classical or rhythmic music. |
| Difficulty sustaining attention to the primary auditory stimulus at hand (lecture). May withdraw or act out. | – Seat student away from potential distractions, such as open windows, blowers, talkative children. – Use visual aids to help sustain attention (outlines, tables, graphs).Speak clearly, with clear articulation.Face student. – After discussions or lectures, ask questions to check if student has tuned in. |
| Tunes out, especially in a noisy environment; he/she stops listening altogether as a defense against “auditory overload”. | – Announce assignments well before the end of class, not shouting at the last minute. – Place assignments visually on the board.. – Use a daily planner for organization of assignments. |