Auditory Processing and Auditory Processing Disorder
To understand Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) we must first understand what auditory processing is.
Auditory Processing is a general term used to describe what happens when your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you. When energy travels to our ears and it is changed into electrical information that is interpreted by the brain as “hearing.” If someone is said to have an auditory processing disorder (APD) it means the energy traveling from the ears to the brain gets distorted or changed along the way, distorting or changing what the person hears.
Children who have an auditory processing disorder might not be able to distinguish between sounds. For example: A dog may bark in the front of the house, but they think they hear the dog barking in the back of the house. In other words, they think a sound is coming from one area, when in actuality it is coming from another area.
Another example may be. If you ask a child with APD this question. “Tell me one difference between a couch and a house? They might actually hear you say, “Tell me one difference between a cow and mouse?”
APD goes by many other names. Sometimes it is referred to as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). Other common names are auditory perception problem, auditory comprehension deficit, central auditory dysfunction, central deafness, and so-called "word deafness." This is especially true in a noisy or intense environment.
Research suggests that about 5% of school aged kids suffer from APD. These kids don’t necessarily have a loss of hearing problem, its more that they don’t process the sounds they do hear correctly.
If these auditory deficits don’t get identified and managed early it can lead to speech and language delays which may result in poor academic performance.
Symptoms of APD can range from mild to severe and can take many different forms. If you think your child might have a problem with how he or she processes sounds, consider these questions:
- Is your child easily distracted or unusually bothered by loud or sudden noises?
- Are noisy environments upsetting to your child?
- Does your child's behavior and performance improve in quieter settings?
- Does your child have difficulty following directions, whether simple or complicated?
- Does your child have reading, spelling, writing, or other speech-language difficulties?
- Is abstract information difficult for your child to comprehend?
- Are verbal (word) math problems difficult for your child? Is your child disorganized and forgetful?
- Are conversations hard for your child to follow?
Because of the type of behaviors listed above auditory processing disorder can go misdiagnosed or it can get lumped together with ADHD, or even depression. APD very frequently gets misdiagnosed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, it is possible to have both and specific language impairment or learning disabilities.
There are many causes of APD, but the more common causes are head trauma, lead poisoning, and chronic ear infections. Because their are so many causes each child must be assessed individually. An audiologist can determine if your child has APD; although a Speech Language Pathologist can also get an idea buy interacting with the child. Once diagnosed, children with APD usually work with a speech therapist and get favorable results.