My child is sensitive to noise in the classroom and uses headphones to block sound. Should I request an assessment for auditory processing issues?

Sensitivity to noise typically falls under sensory processing. You can have sensory processing sensitivities in different areas, and sound is one.

When we hear sound or words, our brain has to interpret and process them. Auditory processing disorder is when that neurological process is not going well. You can get your child a hearing test and find out they're hearing perfectly, but their brain doesn't interpret the sounds and process them.

If you are concerned about that, a lot of times it is connected to reading and having a difficulty with the phonological processing part of reading. If you look at your child’s last psychoeducational assessment, there might be a section in there that did a screening on auditory processing, so you can look at that assessment and see if it says anything. If you are concerned, you can request an assessment from the school district and tell them you're concerned about your child’s auditory processing. Usually, it is an educational audiologist who performs the assessment. If you're in a smaller district and they’re not sure whether they even have someone who does that, tell them to check with the SELPA.