School supplies, transportation, lunches… the first things that come to mind when we think “Back to School.” While these are all important elements for a successful school year, there are two additional concerns that must be considered and addressed so students can achieve at their highest level. Learning requires the optimal function of both the auditory and visual systems. The auditory system should be evaluated for hearing (the ability to hear and identify sounds) and listening (the ability to focus and concentrate on verbal stimuli). The visual system should be evaluated for looking (the ability to clearly perceive objects and letters) and seeing (how visual information is interpreted when it reaches the brain). If either system is not functioning as it should, learning becomes more challenging.
Hearing and Listening: The auditory system is responsible for many functions. It allows us to identify sounds around us. We know that impaired hearing may adversely impact learning. Often this situation can be addressed with hearing aids or other technology. It is also critical to understand that how we hear must also be considered. Learning problems occur not only from difficulties hearing the words being said, but in processing what is heard. It is easier to identify hearing loss, and screenings are readily available and highly recommended. Processing problems or how they hear are more complex. It’s important to remember that in both cases, hearing and processing, children can’t readily explain the difficulties they are experiencing because they don’t know that they are hearing differently from others!
Looking and Seeing: A similar situation occurs with looking and seeing and again, impairments in either of these functions can impact learning. Problems with vision (looking) are easily identified and quickly corrected with glasses or other techniques. But how they see, how they process information visually is more difficult to identify. Both good vision and unimpaired processing are needed to perform well in school and life activities.
Achieving Optimal Performance: Not only must these two channels for learning be working effectively and efficiently individually, but they must also coordinate and function cooperatively to create a harmonized system of perception. A good example of this is reading. Reading typically involves both the visual and auditory systems. We must recognize the letters and words (visual) and we identify the sounds to form the words to understand the message (auditory).
Steps to Take! Evaluate both channels for learning either before engaging in school activities, or as soon as a difficulty with learning is noticed. A Developmental Optometrist can assess acuity (20/20 vision) and can also evaluate functional visual skills needed for success. For evaluating your child’s hearing, there are many screenings available, or you could visit your local audiologist. The audiologist or a speech pathologist can also evaluate auditory processing. Reach out to a Berard practitioner who can help you address both these issues.
According to Norman Doidge, author of The Brain that Changes Itself, neuroplasticity means that the nerve cells in our brains and nervous systems are changeable, or can modify themselves. Neuroplasticity enables us to continue learning at any age, or to create new connections to take over weakened functions. We can rewire or reorganize our brains.
The actual structure and function of the brain change through the course of our lives. There is no medical treatment involved. It is a natural phenomenon that occurs within the brain. The requirement for triggering this phenomenon of neuroplasticity is exposure to an activity with intensity, frequency, and duration.
