Toward a Developmental Model of Auditory Processing

Abstract

At the outset, I would like to temper the expectations which may have been generated by the title of my presentation. The title might better be, &dquo;Some things which I have learned in search of a model to explain the development of auditory processing abilities in children'.' The focus of my presentation will be on the processing of structured auditory stimuli with an emphasis on speech perception and the processing of natural language. This focus arises out of an interest in eventually applying knowledge about auditory processing abilities and disabilities to the remediation or enrichment of the educational experiences of children with learning disabilities. This paper deals with the following questions: (a) What are some existing models or theories which have relevance to a developmental model of auditory processing in children? (b) What tentative model of auditory processing can best serve as a basis for integrating experimental work? (c) What are some empirical procedures which can be used to study the components of this model of auditory processing? (d) What are some remediation strategies that can be used to study this model?In looking for answers to these questions, my orientation is cognitivel information processing, and, as such, emphasizes the active role of the organism in structuring the available stimuli as opposed to the more passive role of the organism depicted in behaviorism. Such processes as recoding, structuring, hypothesizing, and selection strategies are important components of any cognitive model. Neisser states about the cognitive orientation, &dquo;The central assertion is that seeing, hearing, and remembering are all acts of construction, which may make more or less use of stimulus information depending on circumstances&dquo; (p. 10, 1967). The model and its applications to be presented consists of independent component processes which interact in ways specified by a central plan or program. at UNIV OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ on April 5, 2015 cdq.sagepub.com Downloaded from 153 CURRENT MODELS OF AUDITORY PROCESSING AND PERCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENTI think it is safe to say that no general model has been set forth to date which purports to explain auditory processing from a developmental point of view. The two primary sources to draw on in such an undertaking are (a) models of speech perception based on adult functioning, and (b) models of perceptual development in children based almost exclusively on work in visual perception. Neurological descriptions of auditory processing are available (Gecek, 1972) but are of little help in constructing a developmental model because the descriptions are scanty and based on adult functioning.Three salient concepts dominate the recent literature which deals with the nature of auditory processing. First, the concept of filtering or selective attention has been regarded as a necessary part of auditory processing models (Broadbent, 1958;Moray, 1960; Treisman, 1964). Second, the role of motor components in speech perception, ad developed by Liberman and his asso...

Selective Auditory Attention Abilities of Learning Disabled and Normal Achieving Children

“…The results of this investigation also indicate that selective auditory attention skills improve with age, which is consistent with earlier studies (Cherry 1981, Hedrick & Kunze 1974Maccoby & Konrad 1966). Weener's (1974) developmental model may explain the greater difficulty of LD children in attending selectively when a semantic distractor is present. Weener contended that as selective attention develops, the child is able to make finer and finer distinctions among the various characteristics of auditory stimuli.…”

Development of Selective Auditory Attention Skills in Children

“…Weener's (1974) developmental model attempted to explain this trend. He sugsested that the ability to attend selectively to auditory stimuli develops along two interactive aspects.…”