When we think of hearing loss, we usually associate it with some sort of damage to the ear. Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a type of hearing disorder that disrupts how a person understands what they’re hearing rather than being caused by physical damage. While more conventional hearing loss disorders stem from faults or damage within structures of the ear, APD originates within the auditory cortex instead of the ear. People with APD do not have hearing loss in the conventional sense, but they may display many of the same types of symptoms of traditional hearing loss.
Auditory processing disorder symptoms also tend to blend with learning disorders like ADHD, making a diagnosis of APD increasingly complex. Actual auditory processing disorder affects around 3 – 4% of the population.
Types of Auditory Processing Disorders
APD is a broad category of disorders that have their unique characteristics. Some major subsets of auditory disorders include:
- Hypersensitivity—An over-sensitive response to sounds
- Integration—Difficulty understanding information from more than one source, such as written instructions alongside visual examples
- Decoding—Difficulty processing more minor parts of words (phonemes)
- Prosodic—Trouble understanding tone, inflection, and meaning of speech
- Organizational Deficit—Trouble focusing or recalling information sequence
Auditory Processing Disorder Causes & Symptoms
Typical symptoms of APD manifest as a lack of sound localization, trouble hearing in noisy environments, lack of attention, difficulty in following directions, trouble with retaining recent dialog, speech issues/monotone speaking voice, and more. Since the root of the symptoms lie within the person’s ability to understand rather than hear, these symptoms are often seen alongside ADHD diagnoses. For these reasons, a person with APD may arrive at their diagnosis after seeing specialists in multiple disciplines, from audiologists to cognitive therapists.
APD Diagnosis, Treatments & Management
Identifying, treating, and differentiating auditory processing issues from other cognitive disorders can be complex and may require broad testing. Careful consideration of a person’s medical, educational, and developmental history is also essential. It’s also important to note that children presenting symptoms of APD may see them resolve on their own as their auditory systems mature, so age is a consideration as well.
Evaluations for Diagnosis
Testing the person’s hearing to rule out ear function issues is the first step to diagnosis, followed by specific auditory processing, psychological, and speech pathology tests. Hearing-specific tests should include:
- Complete hearing evaluation
- Audiometry – checks how well a patient hears differences in pitch and intensity.
- Tympanometry – tests the movement of the eardrum
- Acoustic reflexes – tests the reflex of the ear in response to loud sounds
- Auditory brainstem response test – examines nerve connections & responses
- Evoked potential test – examines the efficiency of nerve connections
- Other auditory processing tests
APD Treatments
A mixture of hearing assistive technology and therapeutics is the typical treatment route for APD. These may include:
- Hearing aids – Low-gain versions can amplify specific frequencies while drowning out others, which can help clarify speech.
- Assistive devices – These FM devices use a removable earpiece to help separate the sound you want to hear from other noises.
- Auditory training – practices how to differentiate sounds, helping with focus and clarity of understanding.
Coping & Management Strategies
People with auditory processing disorders can learn behavioral strategies to make things easier outside of technical assistance. Common strategies include:
- Managing proximity to the speaker
- Reducing background noise
- Using subtitles when watching TV
- Receiving important information in writing
- Taking good notes for important information
When to Consult with a Specialist about APD
Anyone experiencing difficulty hearing should contact a qualified audiologist right away. It’s common to notice cognitive symptoms of APD first, which leads people to reach out to teachers, psychologists, and cognitive therapists for help in diagnosing the problem. In turn, they may refer their APD patients to an audiologist to ascertain whether the issue’s root is a physical problem with their auditory system. Whichever route you take, it’s important to take action if it seems to be a persistent issue in children or an issue at all for adults.
Contact our team of audiologists to get help diagnosing potential auditory processing disorders.
