You can use many strategies to make your children's listening experiences more successful. Try some of these... FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS - Children may experience difficulty following directions when * There is noise in the background, or * When the direction is complicated, or * When the direction is lenghty, or * If the direction has to be carried out some time later. To assist your child, reduce background noise and be sure your child is looking at you when you speak. If your child's problems occur mainly when directions are lengthy and complex, be sure to: * Make eye contact with the child first. * Then speak at a slightly slower rate, with a little more expression in your voice. * Use simpler, shorter sentences. * Pause briefly between parts of the direction..."Go upstairs...Put your blue shirt in the drawer." * Ask the child to repeat the direction over in a low voice until the task is finished. * Tell the child to "Make a picture in your mind. See yourself going upstairs. See yourself going to the drawer. Now see yourself putting the shirt in the drawer." * Practice giving your child directions that they must carry out 5 minutes later. Then increase the time delay to 10 minutes, then 30 minutes and so on. (from Central Auditory Processing Disorders by Dorothy A. Kelly)