Helping children with spatial processing disorder (SPD) has moved into the iPad age. Sound Storm is a gaming app based on a successful LiSN & Learn training program where 100 per cent of participants improved their hearing ability. It was created by National Acoustic Laboratories, a division of Australian Hearing. SPD affects one in 100 children who, despite having passed a standard hearing test, have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments.
While the appeal of gaming technology to children raises their participation in a game, this training program does benefit from a team effort, parent and audiologist support will help children even more. Children over six years of age are encouraged to play Sound Storm for around 15 minutes a day, five times a week for approximately 10 weeks. Progress is monitored by an audiologist via the parent sending in reports generated by the app at different stages of the game.
Adjunct professor Dr Harvey Dillon from National Acoustic Laboratories said the disorder is more likely to be present in children who have repeated bouts of ear infections during childhood, including glue ear, even if the infections stopped years ago. “SPD makes it hard for kids to take in sounds around them, especially speech. The good news is that the auditory training software contained in Sound Storm is proven to help students become better listeners,” he said.
For more information visit: http://capd.nal.gov.au/sound-storm-about