Auditory and Visual Deficits

Auditory and Visual Deficits affect one's ability to develop and use language effectively; the effects are most apparent in reading, math, writing, and spelling skills. In both instances, the central nervous system is not processing symbols correctly. Depending upon the severity and nature of the learning disability, the individual:

• Demonstrates variable or unpredictable performance;
• Has difficulty staying on task or using a procedure past the point of its being appropriate;
• Is able to learn information presented in one way, but not in another;
• Experiences severe underachievement in one or more of the basic academic areas (reading, writing, spelling, math);
• Has generally poor work and organizational habits;
• Seems to lack resourcefulness.

Oral/Verbal Expressive Language

The individual:

• Omits or uses words inappropriately;
• Has problems explaining things logically;
• Has trouble expressing thoughts concisely (forgetting, confusing, or having difficulty articulating words);
• Has trouble with telephone conversations;
• Frequently misunderstands verbal communications (because of auditory discrimination problems, the person may process the sounds in words out of sequence, e.g., hears "aminal" instead of "animal");
• Has difficulty expressing herself in group settings;
• Substitutes words incorrectly;
• Has trouble retrieving known words;
• Has problems making generalizations;
• Is hesitant to speak out in class or at work;
• Has difficulty listening;
• Manifests slow verbal information processing;
• Has trouble understanding words or concepts;
• Has difficulty selecting relevant information;
• Has auditory sequencing problems;
• Has problems organizing ideas and expressing ideas in words;
• Misinterprets language subtleties (e.g., tone of voice, sarcasm);
• Has difficulty following complex directions.