Dianne Craft
The
The Biology of Auditory
Processing and Short-Term Memory Issues
• “My son has an auditory processing
problem. He had a lot of ear infections
and bronchitis when he was younger. Is
there a connection?”
• “My daughter has been diagnosed with
a short-term memory problem. What can
I do about this at home?”
The Most Common Processing
Problem
As I cross the country, speaking at homeschool conventions, many moms come
to my booth asking these questions. Of
all the Four Learning Gates that can be
blocked, making learning more difficult
for a child or teenager, a blocked Auditory Gate presents the most challenges.
It affects not only learning but also life
in general.
The last Struggling Homeschooler column was titled “What Can I Do About
Auditory Processing Problems?” In that
article, we explored the symptoms of an
auditory processing problem and the two
methods that I have used in my teaching
career and in my consultation practice
to aid children and teenagers with this
blocked learning gate: ( 1) bypassing the
blocked learning gate, and ( 2) correcting
the blocked learning gate. In this article
we will discuss nutritional approaches
that aid kids, teenagers, and adults who
have auditory processing problems.
Common Physical Conditions
in Auditory Processing
Problems
When searching for “corrections” for an
auditory processing and memory issue,
I have found targeted nutritional inter-
ventions to be extremely helpful. As a
nutritionist, I found that just as there is
a “chemistry of dyslexia,” there are some
common biological issues that chil-
dren or adults with auditory processing
problems share. In my experience, when
those biological areas are addressed, the
ability to hear, remember, and process
auditory information can be vastly im-
proved. (I have personally worked with
three thousand families in my consulta-
tion practice.)
There are some
common biological
issues that children
or adults with
auditory processing
problems share.
I’m hoping to put more “tools in your
pocket” as you work with your child.
While working with families of bright,
diligent children and teenagers who have
to work too hard to learn, I have identified the following common conditions:
1. Yeast/Fungus Overgrowth. When
this seemingly benign state exists in the
body, it can create internal stress for the
child. One of the symptoms that kids
report is having “noise in their head . . .
like a static,” which makes it hard for
them to concentrate on their own “think-
ing” voice and the voices of others. They
frequently report that they have difficulty
hearing when background noise is pres-
ent. After the yeast/fungus is brought un-
der control, they report that it seems that
their own thoughts and the sounds they
hear are “clearer.”
1
