Hello and thank you for writing to JustAsk!

Auditory Processing is different than hearing acuity and tends not to be a uni-lateral problem.  Thus, you may wish to consult with the audiologist or other professional that diagnosed your child with a processing disorder to discuss implications of how this may impact on learning.

In addition, you can ask for a multi-disciplinary team in your child's school to convene and discuss whether your child needs to have any academic evaluations in order to determine if additional help in school is warranted. This is a process that requires a formal request in writing by the parent or guardian.  You as the parent would have a say in all that occurs as part of this process, as you are an essential part of the team.

Please feel free to share with the team any documents or prior testing that your fifth grader has received.  Any assessments may help to delve further in to how your child learns and what would be the best strategies for teaching/ academic attainment.  Please note that these teams are common in public schools in the United States.  If your child is in a private school you will need to ask the administration about their own process.

Best of luck to all!  I have added some useful websites for you.


Louise Masin Sattler, NCSP
Nationally Certified School Psychologist