Auditory Processing Software

How Fast ForWord Helps

Gemm Learning uses an auditory processing software called Fast ForWord. The program works on processing speed and other cognitive skills such as memory and attention stamina that often coexist with auditory processing disorders.

Fast ForWord, the most widely used in-clinic auditory processing software in North America, is now being offered to families at home by Gemm Learning. Fast ForWord is downloaded to the home computer and then progress is monitored via daily Internet uploads.
Our auditory processing disorder treatment

Symptoms Helped By Auditory Processing Software

Here are some of the most common symptoms of auditory processing disorder in children and how Fast ForWord is able to isolate and exercise the underlying cognitive skills involved.

reading-quote1-banner.inc Inability to Follow Directions
Children struggle to follow directions because they are not processing fast enough to take the words in at natural language speed and/or they are not able to retain what they hear.

Fast ForWord tackles these two issues separately. Its most important exercise targets processing speed and accuracy, using a high/low sound exercise game that adds speed at the student's own pace. Working memory also has a dedicated exercise, a matching game, but is an important cognitive skill that to some extent is developed in almost all Fast ForWord exercises.

Attention Deficit
Many children with auditory processing difficulties struggle to attend to language oriented tasks. This includes sitting in class, doing homework and reading. This inattentive behavior is often due to internal "churning" that makes it hard to absorb the content without a lot of exhausting effort. This churning also distracts from listening or reading comprehension -- if your child was better able to absorb the content, he/she would likely find it more interesting and so would engage more consistently.

While Fast ForWord is well known for the processing speed and accuracy exercises that aim to eliminate the churning described above, one of its strengths as an auditory processing software is the attention theme that runs throughout. It's a two step approach:

• Eliminate the impediments to effortless absorption of material, written and spoken

• Help the student learn to overcome inattentive attention deficit disorder and attend with exercises that diminish impulsivity and develop attention stamina, the ability to stay engaged even if the material is not that interesting. Fast ForWord builds this skill using exercises that require intensity of focus in durations that increase over time.

Learn more here:
Inattentive attention deficits program

Reading Difficulty
The most common reason parents seek out an auditory processing software is for reading help or dyslexia. Children with auditory processing difficulties often struggle to sound words out at a young age. For others, with milder auditory processing deficits, reading comprehension is where the difficulty first surfaces. They were able to overcome their early phonological awareness issues, but decoding requires their full concentration, leaving little room to focus on comprehension.

Fast ForWord helps reading comprehension by automating the decoding task. Better auditory processing skills allow the student break words down into phonemes with less effort, and then map them for reading, so that decoding can become automatic. This frees up the mind for comprehension; no more multi-tasking, juggling decoding and comprehension at the same time. This is why our software is so powerful -- it accurately exercises the key underlying impediments to reading success.
Reading difficulties from auditory processing disorders

Vocabulary, Articulation and Conversation Skills
Many children with auditory processing difficulties have a limited vocabulary and/or struggle with articulation or conversational, expressive language skills. These seemingly varied issues come down to the same problem, weak listening skills. If you cannot hear a word clearly, you will not use it in conversation, preferring simpler words you are sure you heard right. Mispronunciation or muddy articulation is a direct reflection of how the words are heard. And finally, if a conversation is moving too fast or if you miss big chunks of it, you will tend not to participate.

Fast ForWord treats speech and language issues by helping students process at natural language speed. This involves clear listening, accurate sequencing of the syllables (for vocabulary and articulation) and words (for conversation) and working memory skills that can capture and hold words at natural language speed. These important skills are all covered in the first program that our new Fast ForWord students work on. Fast ForWord Language v2 for elementary age or Fast ForWord Literacyfor middle school and older.

Language Structure and Writing
Observation of how language is structured, the nuances, grammar, spelling and syntax, requires the ability to think critically while listening or reading. Auditory processing problems in children prevent this level of observation -- the mind is too occupied with the words themselves. Similarly, observing how sentences are constructed and how words are used, is a required precursor to sound writing skills. An overloaded mind does not have the capacity for this kind of thinking.
How auditory processing in children impacts learning

While Fast ForWord is the only auditory processing software that builds the cognitive skills to improve the ability to think critically while listening and reading, the program also has exercises that work directly on the common knowledge gaps in children with auditory processing difficulties. Of the 5-6 exercises in each Fast ForWord program, at least one is devoted to language structure, syntax and spelling.
Fast ForWord auditory processing program details

Auditory Processing Disorder

To learn more about auditory processing disorder, its causes and treatment options, check out our FAQ page:
Frequently asked questions about central auditory processing disorder