Auditory processing disorder (APD) happens when your ears and brain don’t sync properly. This can cause an array of challenges. People with APD often struggle with auditory discrminiation, which is the ability to recognize, compare and distinguish between distinct and separate sounds. APD can make it difficult to remember what you’ve heard and recall sequences of words that are spoken.
APD can also interfere with learning, but does not directly correlate with someone’s intelligence. It can also make it difficult for someone to communicate, but does not appear on a traditional test for hearing loss. It can be greatly misunderstood and may be overlooked. APD is a condition that affects 3% to 5% of all children. Here are some common difficulties associated with APD:
- Auditory Discrimination: the ability to notice and differentiate similar, but unique sounds.
- Auditory Memory: remembering what you’ve heard.
- Auditory Sequencing: recalling words and directions in the correct order that they were received.
- Auditory Figure Ground: difficulty discerning and processing information when there is competing background noise or stimuli.
- Auditory Cohesion Difficulty: having a problem processing inferences from conversation, picking up on tone and inflection, or understanding riddles.
APD can also trigger additional challenges for students, including behavior problems, poor social skills, anxiety, and academic challenges.
APD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) have several signs in common, but the reason behind the symptoms is significantly different. And having both APD and ADHD (or ADD) only complicates things. Children with APD may suffer from the following:
- Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Fidgeting
- Challenges with behavior, social skills, and academic achievement
Similarly to ADHD, APD can also come with its own complications for learning. If you think your child might suffer from APD, you should schedule a complete psychometric assessment.
BrainFitU programs can aid in training auditory processing, and are extremely rare in reading programs when working with a tutor. Your child may benefit from brain training if they have APD or learning disorders. Please give us a call or visit our website to learn more about what we can do for your child.