Understanding Auditory Processing Disorder
Empower Through Early Intervention
Explore the complexities of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) and discover how timely diagnosis and intervention can transform lives.
What is Auditory Processing Disorder?
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), also commonly referred to as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), is the inability to attend to, discriminate among or between, recognize, or understand auditory information. APD is a sensory processing deficit that commonly impacts listening, spoken language, comprehension, and learning. APD is associated with some sort of dysfunction within the central auditory nervous system.
Characteristics of APD in Children
Two to three percent of the population of children are believed to have Auditory Processing Deficit with twice as many boys as girls being affected. Most children with APD have normal intelligence and normal hearing sensitivity, however they appear hearing impaired.
Impact on Development
Children with APD exhibit several of these symptoms:
Difficulty learning to read
Difficulty telling sounds apart
Poor organization of verbal material
Remembering what is heard
Often have a history of ear infections or were born prematurely
Poor reading and spelling skills
Saying “Huh or What”, “ I didn’t hear you”, or “I didn’t understand what you meant”
Respond inconsistently or inappropriately to auditory information
Unable to learn songs or nursery rhymes, and poor music and singing skills
Listening for extended periods
Difficulties with phonics and speech sound discrimination
Problems following directions, especially when complex
Difficulty attending to oral messages
Unable to concentrate, or stay on task, and are easily distracted
Unable to locate sounds
Hear words incorrectly
Distracted by background noise
Oral and written expression problems
Delay in responding when participating in oral communication
Diagnosing Auditory Processing Disorder
1
Initial Consultation
The diagnostic journey begins with a comprehensive consultation with an audiologist to discuss symptoms and medical history.
2
Comprehensive Testing
A series of specialized auditory tests are conducted to evaluate the child’s auditory processing capabilities across various domains.
3
Diagnosis and Recommendations
Based on test results, the audiologist provides a detailed diagnosis and recommends tailored intervention strategies to address the child’s specific needs.
The ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) defined Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) in 1996 as a disorder with problems in one of the following six areas:
Sound localization and lateralization (knowing where a sound source is located)
Auditory discrimination (usually concerning speech, but the ability to tell that one sound is different from another)
Auditory pattern recognition (musical rhythms are one example of an auditory pattern)
Temporal aspects of audition (auditory processing relies on making fine discriminations of timing changes in auditory input, especially differences in timing between the way input comes through one ear as opposed to the other)
Auditory performance decrements with competing acoustic signals (listening in noise)
Auditory performance decrements with degraded acoustic signals (listening to sounds that are muffled, missing information or for some reason not clear.)
APD Diagnosis
APD, also referred to as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), is diagnosed by an audiologist who has received specialized training in evaluating central auditory function. An accurate diagnosis coupled with a treatment/therapy regime targeted to remediate the identified auditory processing deficits accomplishes my goals for each individual. A battery of normed tests is essential to assess the six areas of potential processing deficits, yielding a profile that outlines auditory strengths and weaknesses.
Northwest Auditory Processing Clinic selects a test battery that best meets the individual’s specific needs, based on clinical and professional experience, and most importantly, each client’s unique needs. An evaluation at Northwest Auditory Processing Clinic will include at least one test from each of these categories:
Dichotic Tests – Dichotic tests present a different auditory stimulus for each ear.
Monaural Low-Redundancy Speech (MLRS) Tests—MLRS tests assess auditory closure, the listener’s ability to fill in and recognize an acoustic signal when parts are missing or by changing frequency, temporal, or intensity characteristics.
Temporal Processing Tests – Temporal processing tests measure the listener’s ability to recognize the order or pattern of nonverbal auditory signals.
Binaural Interaction Tests—Binaural interaction tests assess “binaural fusion,” the listener’s ability to take incomplete information presented to each ear and fuse it into an understandable signal.
Treating Auditory Processing Disorders
Northwest Auditory Processing Clinic designs individualized treatment plans to address the specific deficit areas identified in the APD evaluation. Successful management in the educational setting focuses on remediating the disorder, changing the environment, and improving the client’s listening and learning skills. Input to IEP goals and objectives, classroom accommodations, including strategies for the teacher, and use of assistive devices and FM systems are offered.