Do You Hear What I Hear: Exploring Auditory Processing Differences

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On episode 234, Emily Kircher-Morris talks with Austina De Bonte about auditory processing differences. They discuss how these differences can often be mistaken for attention issues or social difficulties, and what it all means for everyday life. Dr. De Bonte shares some methodologies used for testing, accommodations that are available, and ground-breaking auditory devices that have been found to help those dealing with auditory processing challenges. Takeaways Auditory processing differences can have a significant impact on how individuals experience the world and react to various situations. Processing differences can often mimic other traits, such as attention issues or difficulties with social relationships. Individuals with auditory processing differences may try to hide or compensate for their difficulties, which can be exhausting and impact their well-being. The Able Kids Foundation specializes in auditory processing disorder and offers unique approaches to assessment and support. An ear filter device can improve word recognition by altering the timing between the ears. Low gain hearing aids and auditory therapies may provide some benefit, but their effectiveness is uncertain. Misophonia, a sensitivity to certain sounds, does not have many effective strategies for treatment. Accommodations such as preferential seating and FM systems in classrooms can help individuals with auditory processing differences. If you are a clinician and you are looking for accredited continuing education specific to neurodivergent clients, you should check out the Therapist Hub. You can join as a founding member and get 15% off the lifetime of your membership with the coupon code HubFM15. If you weren’t able to attend the free course, Foundations of Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy, you can still take the course as a self-study here. This episode is brought to you by the Gifted Learning Lab, which offers resources and coaching for parents who want to feel more confident raising their intense or sensitive gifted and twice-exceptional kids and teens. Dr. Austina De Bonte is a consultant at Smart is Not Easy, specializing in helping families get to the root cause(s) of their kids’ twice exceptional challenges. She also works with school district teams to improve equitable identification and service models. She is President of the WA Coalition for Gifted Education, Past President of NW Gifted Child Association, and an advisor to The G Word documentary. Dr. De Bonte’s impressive credentials and experience also include being a certified SENG Model Parent Group facilitator, making the list of People to Watch by Variations 2e (2020), and being a recipient of the NAGC Carolyn Callahan Doctoral Student Award (2023), the WAETAG Advocacy Award (2019), and three PTA Outstanding Advocate awards. Austina has a Masters degree from MIT (1998), and an Ed.D. from Bridges Graduate School (2024), where her dissertation was titled “Beyond Universal Screening: Practices and Attitudes that Support Equity in an Accelerated Elementary Program.” BACKGROUND READING Austina De Bonte’s website Facebook