Yuki is a four-year-old female growing up in a two-parent family and has one older sister (age 7)

Yuki is a four-year-old female growing up in a two-parent family and has one older sister (age 7). She lives in a middle-class neighborhood where there are many young children and a neighborhood park. She likes to go to the park and play with other children. Her parents have become very concerned that while she can talk, her words do not sound like those of other children. She often seems to misunderstand what others say, though her parents know that she understands the words. They are frustrated because it seems that she can understand what she hears occasionally, but not always. They know that she will struggle in kindergarten next year if this does not change. They had her hearing tested. It is normal. The doctor suspects Yuki has an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD).

• How is speech understood in the brain using a word recognition model?
• How is word recognition important in understanding Auditory Processing Disorders (APDs)?
• How can an Auditory Processing Disorder affect learning and behavior in a young child like Yuki?
• What treatments might be used to help Yuki recognize words better?