Auditory Processing Disorders

Auditory Processing Disorders (APD’s) are a deficit in information processing of sound with deficits not attributed to hearing or intelligence impairment. To put it simply, it is the inability to attend to discriminate, recognize or comprehend what is heard, even though hearing and intelligence are normal.

APD’s are more pronounced when listening to distorted speech, or in poor acoustic environments, such as listening in the presence of competing background noise.

Alliance Hearing and Balance Center offers a comprehensive test battery to assess pediatric auditory processing abilities.

 

What is an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)?
Auditory processing refers to how your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you. Humans hear when energy that we recognize as sound travels through the ear and is changed into electrical information that can be interpreted by the brain.

The “disorder” means that something is causing the brain not to process sound the way it should.

What causes auditory processing difficulties?
The cause of APD is not clearly understood.

In children, auditory processing difficulty may be associated with conditions such as dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, specific language impairment or developmental delay.

In adults, the problem may be the result of more subtle changes in the chemicals that transmit information from one set of nerves to the next.

Some common symptoms associated with APD:

• history of multiple middle ear infections
  
   
• inattentive to sounds
  
   
• difficulty following multiple step directions
  
   
• say “what” and “huh” often
  
   
• misunderstands non-verbal social cues (i.e. facial expressions and tone of voice)
  
   
• complains about loud sounds in the environment
  
   
• has poor musical skills (i.e. cannot carry a tune, trouble with rhythm and intonation)
  
   
• difficulty hearing when others are talking
  
   
• easily distracted
  
   
• developmental delays
  
   
• low academic performance
  
   

How is APD diagnosed?
 

Auditory processing disorders can only be diagnosed by an audiologist.

Your child must be at least 8 years old.

Before the APD test can be given, a complete hearing test is necessary.

The APD test battery consists of several methods designed to stress the auditory processing system. For example, for one task, the audiologist might have your child listen to different numbers or words in the right and the left ear at the same time. Another common task involves having your child repeat words that sound muffled.

What can be done?
 

Treatment is available for APD and has been very successful. The ideal approach to APD intervention has three parts.

1. Getting rid of background noises and distractions to make it easier for your child to listen.

2. Have the teacher make some changes to help your child in the classroom.

3. Therapy (usually conducted by a speech-language pathologist) is recommended for direct intervention with the goal of “curing” the disorder.

The first two types of recommendations make it easier for your child to listen and learn while they are in therapy to improve their listening skills.

Scheduling an Appointment
 

The testing takes approximately 2 hours. A follow-up appointment will be scheduled to review testing results.

A history form will be sent for you to fill out and submit to the audiologist for review before an appointment can be scheduled.

Patients must be 8 years old and have had a neuropsychological or educational evaluation to rule out other educational disorders.

Once the information has been reviewed an appointment will be scheduled.

Some insurance plans cover APD testing.