"There is only one rule to become a good talker-- learn how to listen," said an unknown author. Although speech-language pathologists and audiologists may suggest additional "rules," both professions agree that listening is an important skill. Speech-language and hearing specialists often incorporate listening activities with individuals who have speech sound differences or disorders and those who have hearing impairment, including those with cochlear implants.

Listening activities are also used to help individuals recovering from aphasia to improve auditory memory, teach individuals with autism spectrum disorders, help clients with attention or central processing disorders, and serving many other clients. The following resources offer freely available activities featuring this important component of treatment.

Enhance your child's thinking skills by encouraging him to be more 'aware' of his surroundings and be more focussed.

Steps:

1. Use sounds such as the quiet whirring of a fridge and compare to the loudness of a stereo system

2. Step into your backyard to discover the sounds of birds and bees, planes and helicopters! Can your child close his eyes and tell a plane from a helicopter based on the sound they make?

3. Discover the sounds in the quiet of the night - a car on the distant highway, rustling of the leaves, the cricket in the bushes or the light sound of the dishwasher!

4. Ask your child to 'hear' the different sounds in the environment and 'discover' the source