![]() ![]() Many times children are misdiagnosed with ADD or ADHD when they actually suffer from an auditory processing disorder. Of all the processing disorders, this one is most often missed or misdiagnosed. There are specific indicators that help you determine if auditory processing issues are present. Often they will act as if they have a hearing issue even when they pass every hearing screening that is given. Individuals with auditory processing difficulties will present with specific symptoms. Many term this a listening disorder, joking “He hears what he wants to hear.” But in reality, auditory processing disorders can cause reading and spelling problems, in addition to difficulty following multi-step directions and remembering details from a story. An individual can get a perfect score on a hearing screening yet still have extreme difficulty with an auditory processing test. less background noise).Auditory processing is not how well a person hears, but instead what the brain does with what a person hears. Especially in specific environments, a hearing aid can help to reduce the impact of background noise through an improved signal-to-noise ratio (i.e. Some adults or children with APD and normal hearing benefit from a hearing aid set to a low volume. ![]() Adults can also consider recording important meetings for later listening. Sitting in a corner will also be helpful if booths are not available. For example, when going out to eat, choosing a booth with benches with high backs will help cut out background noise. In addition to an FM system and therapy, adults with APD will also benefit from clearly communicating their needs and strategically choosing listening situations to help them. Asking people to repeat what they said.Ĭhildren should be aware of their needs so they can clearly communicate them to their friends and other adults.It’s important to support children with APD to advocate for their own needs. Therapy to specifically address auditory processing skills.Visual cues to accompany verbal directions, such as written directions or pictures.An FM system, which is a small microphone the teacher wears to send their voice directly into headphones that a student with APD wears.A strategic seating arrangement, like near the speaker at the front of the class.If a child is diagnosed with APD, an audiologist will establish a list of accommodations to help the child succeed at school. A physician, psychologist, or speech-language pathologist can assess and rule out other conditions contributing to the understanding difficulty. Some of these include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disorders, developmental delay, significant speech or language disorders, or hearing loss.įor this reason, it can be useful to take a team approach in determining the most accurate diagnosis. There are a variety of other etiologies that can disrupt the chain of events involved in hearing and present with similar symptoms as APD. It’s important to note that APD is a diagnosis of exclusion. ![]()
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