Sometimes, children exhibit classic signs of hearing loss: they do not hear well, or may only understand a portion of what is being said. They experience learning difficulties, particularly in environments with lots of background noise. When multiple people are talking, they often lose focus and struggle to follow the conversation.
What Is APD?
Parents may suspect a hearing loss, but in many cases, the cause is a behavioral disorder known as auditory processing disorder (APD). An estimated five percent of school-age children suffer from APD, a condition that affects their ability to process information correctly due to a disconnect between what they are hearing and how their brain responds.
Most children with APD don’t actually have hearing loss. Studies have shown that the majority are able to hear normally in quiet environments; the problem is in the way they process auditory information. Symptoms may range from mild to severe and include difficulty with any of the following:
- Hearing in noisy environments
- Following conversations
- Remembering spoken information
- Maintaining focus and attention
- Following directions
- Reading and spelling
- Processing nonverbal information
How Is APD Diagnosed?
Children with APD may become withdrawn, isolated and depressed. They often become disruptive and may take unnecessary risks or lash out at others. Because many of the behavioral issues closely mimic those associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other learning disabilities, an incorrect diagnosis is often made.
An audiologist can determine the exact nature of your child’s issues through a routine hearing test, which will rule out any physical hearing problems by testing their ability to hear a range of frequencies. If no hearing loss is present, behavioral and electrophysiological testing is administered.
How Is APD Treated?
Our team will work with you to create a personalized plan of care for your child. Along with hearing aids, we may suggest training to practice discerning sounds. Known as auditory training, this process can be done with the assistance of an audiologist, a speech-language pathologist, or a computer. The goal of this process is to empower your child to better engage with sounds and conversations.
Call Complete Hearing and Tinnitus Care for more information or to schedule an appointment.
