d. m. arney, m.a.

There are a few tell tales for a neurological/biological Auditory Processing Disorder. Mushy or mumbled speech, inattention to volume, lack of tone quality in speech; any of these could be associated and when present to a significant degree, it’s time to consult an audiologist. But not all problems are directly based on the auditory nerve. So here’s some other stuff to watch for: 1) Talking back, especially if the argument is about how or what you said. 2) Use of ‘uh-huh’, ‘yes’, ‘I know’ or other short positive responses to nearly everything you say, while the student still doesn’t display understanding. 3) Yawning, especially during lecture style teaching or lecture style parenting. 4) Talking over you, interrupting you, or ignoring you while processing auditory signals, (don’t forget that all language is really an auditory task, whether seen or heard). There are others, but these are the main ones I come across that are easily missed or overlooked.