#Types of auditory processing disorder series#

Without these clinical measurements, you only have hunches. The responses their instruments quantify determine if a child has APD.

#Types of auditory processing disorder series#

What determines a diagnosis of APD?Īudiologists can accurately measure the physiological responses of the auditory system to sound with a series of tests in a sound-treated room.

Some professionals may use screening tools to assess auditory-processing capability, but these tools and field observations cannot diagnose APD. While the observations of teachers (learning issues), psychologists (cognitive abilities), and speech-language pathologists (language, speech, and related skills) are helpful, they are not diagnostic. Like many communication disorders, a multidisciplinary approach contributes to understanding APD. The short answer is pediatric audiologists. But there is a way to diagnose APD accurately. To add complexity, APD can coexist and interact with ADHD and other disorders. Still, autism is a higher-order dysfunction, not an auditory problem. Similarly, children with autism may also struggle with understanding spoken language. But ADHD kids process auditory information normally. For instance, children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be poor listeners and have problems understanding and recalling verbal instructions. For example, other issues can reduce children’s ability to focus, comprehend, and recall, not just APD.ĪPD is an auditory deficit unrelated to higher-level thinking and language disorders. The problem is all the other disorders that mimic the signs and symptoms of APD. For example, most kids with APD have normal hearing and are bright, with intelligence unrelated to their APD. You’re right if you think diagnosing APD is tough. In other words, their brain has a problem making sense of what they hear. When a child is diagnosed with APD, their brain (central auditory system) struggles with receiving, remembering, understanding, or using auditory information. Processing involves recognizing, interpreting, and storing auditory data for future use.įor example, auditory processing lets us distinguish one type of sound from another and makes it possible to pick out speech when there is lots of noise in the background. The brain’s job is to make sense of this information - or process it. Hearing and understanding what you hear are two different functions.Īuditory processing is what your brain does (central auditory system) with the information it receives from your ears (peripheral auditory system).

A child will have trouble understanding what they hear if the problem is in the central auditory system (auditory pathway to the brain).

A child will have trouble hearing if the problem is in the peripheral auditory system (outer, middle, and inner ear).

The auditory system has two parts: the peripheral and central auditory systems.

In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we tackle the basics of this complex disorder. An accurate diagnosis of APD requires a series of clinical tests. Having trouble planning the steps for a project, organizing their time, or following routinesīut these qualities do not confirm that a child has APD - they are only suspicions.Asking you to repeat what was said in noisy places.

Finding it hard to concentrate or follow conversations.

Auditory processing disorder (APD), also referred to as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), is a confusing topic that affects 7-10% of children.