What is Auditory Processing Disorder?
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), often referred to as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), is a condition affecting an individual's brain’s ability to filter and interpret sounds. People with APD possess normal hearing abilities; however, their brains have difficulty receiving, organizing, and making sense of sound.
Symptoms
A significant sign of auditory processing disorder in adults is difficulty listening when there is background noise or in reverberant environments. Adults with APD can also have other signs and symptoms, including:
• Trouble following multi-step or complex directions
• Difficulty multitasking in auditory situations, such as listening and taking notes simultaneously.
• Trouble spelling, reading and writing
• Inability to appreciate music
• Difficulty following directions
• Challenges with rapid or accented speech
• Problems organizing at home, work, and other environments
• Social challenges, such as communication issues
• Trouble in conversing on the telephone
Doctors are not aware of the causes of the condition. However, they associate the disorder with other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, and conditions that affect attention, learning, and language, such as ADHD and dyslexia. Other possiblecausesincludethefollowing:
• HeadTrauma
• Genetics
• Untreatedhearingloss
• Anoxia Causes
Must Know Facts about Auditory Processing Disorder
APD is a lifetime condition
A management myth stated that since there is no cure for auditory processing disorder in adults, there is no value in assessing skills. However, assessments might provide a guide for proper interventions and treatment. Instead of curing APD, experts develop approaches to improve ability and communicationskills.
APD has various treatments
WhenmedicalpractitionersseeAPDasaspectrum disorder, they might use bottom-up and top-down interventions. Bottom-up treatments refer to environmental modification and auditory training that improves acoustics and the listening environment. On the other hand, the top-down treatments focus on higher-level functions, including cognition, language and memory. It uses language, cognitive and instructional modification strategies.
APD affects older adults
Even adults experience hearing difficulties in noisy environments. Experts relate APD as a cause of listening difficulties other than structural hearing loss among older adults. These individuals have speech perception problems, such as speech-innoise and speech audibility. Central auditory processing abnormality increase withage.
People with dyslexia have APD
Dyslexic adults also exhibit difficulty processing fast sound sequences, indicating an auditory processing deficit. Adults with dyslexia have problems processing rapid sound sequences. The significant delay in conscious auditory perception will continuethroughouttheirlifetime.
APD is common among people who sustained a brain injury
Often people slip down on wet floors or stumble down the stairs. These accidents cause severe head injury or brain trauma, and an estimated 50% of people experiencing a brain injury experience APD. There are situations when people experiencing a minor head injury have difficulty understanding spoken words and recallinginformation.
How does Kick Start Therapy Help People with APD?
At Kick Start Therapy, we have trained, experienced and certified speech-language pathologists who assist people with APD. We conduct required tests and assist the patientsaccordingtotheanalysis.Weofferindividualizedtherapyservicesthrough our multidisciplinary team of registered and certified behavioral consultants, ABA therapists,occupationaltherapistsandotherrehabilitationtherapists.
