Dealing with Auditory Processing Disorder

Many people have normal hearing—healthy ears and related anatomy and physiology—but they    experience    communica tion    difficul ties because, as described by author and professor of communication disorders Dr. Teri Bellis, the “brain can’t hear.” Auditory processing disorder, known as APD by many professionals, can affect children and adults. Signs and symptoms of APD include:

1. Difficulty hearing in noisy conditions.
2. Trouble remembering information presented orally.
3. Difficulty following multi-step directions.
4. Slow response to auditory stimuli.
5. Difficulty localizing the source of sound.
6. Misunderstanding of spoken words.
7. Difficulty with reading, spelling and information that is presented verbally.

The diagnosis of APD requires a team evaluation. The first step is a comprehensive hearing test that can be performed at ABC Hearing Net. Then, an evaluation must determine whether the difficulty is an auditory processing, linguistic processing or a language processing disorder. It takes numerous tests to ensure an accurate diagnosis and a customized treatment for each individual.

This disorder can be confused with other diagnoses, such as ADHD. The symptoms may appear similar, but the cause is different. APD is basically an input disorder. Information does not successfully get to the brain accurately or within a reasonable time. ADHD, by contrast, is more an output disorder. Therefore, treatments for APD and ADHD are very different.

Unlike autism, APD affects the auditory modality and, only at times, other sensory channels.

Treatment is usually a three-pronged approach: managing sound in the environment, intervention by an audiologist or speech pathologist, and compensatory strategies. For adults, job placement in a quieter environment can help. For children, often a listening system that helps them hear the teacher better in the class can be used with success. Therapy programs under the guidance of audiologists and speech pathologists also play an important role in managing communication with APD. Finally, effective compensatory strategies can be learned in order to manage the effects of the disorder.

Do you have trouble understanding conversations? ABC Hearing Net can perform a comprehensive hearing test at its offices on the corner of Westtown Road and East Market Street in West Chester. Dr. Judith Curtin of ABC Hearing Net is an AAA Board- certified audiologist.