AuditorySkillsHierarchy

STEP1:AuditoryAwareness
Theabilitytodetectsound
Respondstosoundbysmiling,headturning,stilling,startling
Respondstonoisemakers,environmentalsoundsandspeechsoundswithouthis/herattentionbeing
Auditory directtowardsthesound.
Awareness Respondstomusic/singingbyvocalising,dancing,singingorclapping
Respondstoloudsounds
Understandsthatsomethingsdonotmakeasound

Theabilitytolocatethesoundsource
Attemptstolocalisesounds/voice
Beginstolocalisesourceofvoicewithaccuracy,e.g.moveseyesindirectionofsounds
Sound Localisessoundsourcewithaccuracy
Localization Localisessoundfromadistance

Theabilitytoattendtoimportantauditoryinformationincludingattendinginthemidstofcompeting
backgroundnoise
Auditory
Listenstosingingortalkingforseveralminutes
Attention/Figure Decreasesorincreasessuckingbehaviourinresponsetosounds
Ground

STEP2:AuditoryDiscrimination
Theabilitytodetectdifferencesbetweensoundsintheenvironment.
Recognisesmothers/caregiversvoice
Environmental Discriminatesspeakersvoicefromcompetingstimuli
Sounds Listenstofamiliarsongs
Listensfromadistance

Theabilitytodetectdifferencesinnonphonemeaspectsofspeechincludingrate,intensity,duration,pitch,
andoverallprosody.
Suprasegmentals Reactstochangestonesofvoice
Discriminatesbetweenfriendly&angryvoices

Theabilitytodetectdifferencesbetweenspecificspeechsounds.
Discriminatesvowel&syllablecontent
Discriminatessongs

Segmentals

CompiledbyCraigNelson&SusannahFolley
 AuditorySkillsHierarchy

STEP3:AuditoryIdentification
Theabilitytoattachmeaningtosoundsandspeech.
Soundsbegintohavemeaning
Associatesaspecificsoundwithanoccurrence
e.g.hearscar&anticipatesDaddysarrival
Auditory Listenstoaspeakerandwatchesaspeaker'sfacewhenspokento
Association Associatesmeaningtowords
Processessimplelanguage
Discriminatesbetweenmorephrases
Identifies&associatesmorewordstorelatedobjects,e.g.toys,bodyparts,food,clothing
Discriminatesdescriptivephrases

Theabilitytochangespeechproductionbasedoninformationyougetfromhearingyourselfspeak.
Auditory
Listenstoownvoice
Feedback/
Monitorsownvoiceandthevoicesofothers
SelfMonitoring Imitateswordsheard

Phonological Theabilitytoidentify,blend,segment,andmanipulateorallanguagestructure.
Awareness
(SeePhonologicalAwarenesspage)

STEP4:AuditoryComprehension
Theabilitytounderstandlongerauditorymessages,includingengaginginconversation,following
directions,andunderstandingstories.
Hasalongerattentionspan
Auditory Follows1stepdirectionsthatarefamiliar
Comprehension Comprehendslongerutterances
Follows23directions
Follows3directions
Followsdirectionswithmoredifficultconcepts,e.g.putthethickbluesquarebehindtheemptyjug

Theabilitytomakesenseofauditorymessageswhenapieceofauditoryinformationismissing;fillinginthe
Auditory
blanks.
Closure E.g.WhileIwaseatingmybreakfast,Icouldsmellthetoast______inthetoaster.

Theabilitytoretainauditoryinformationbothimmediatelyandafteradelay.
Remembers1itemattheendofaphrase/sentence
Auditorymemoryof2itemsindifferentlinguisticcontexts
Continuestoexpandauditorymemory3itemswithdifferentlinguisticfeatures
Auditory
Auditorymemoryincreasesto5items
Memory Retellsashortstory
Repeatsa6wordsentence
Repeatsan8wordsentence
Retellslongerstoriesindetail5ormoresentences

Theabilitytointerpret,retain,organize,andmanipulatespokenlanguageforhigherleveland
communication.
Identifiesbycategory
Linguistic
Sequences2piecesofinformationinorder
Auditory
Sequences3ormorepiecesofinformationinorder
Processing Processescomplexsentencestructures
Processeslongerandmorecomplexlanguagestructures,e.g.Canyoufindsomethingthatlivesina
tree,hasfeathersandayellowcrest?

Resourcesused:
LinguisystemsCommunicationMilestones,StGabrielsCurriculum,CochlearIntegratedScalesofDevelopment

CompiledbyCraigNelson&SusannahFolley