What Is an Auditory Processing Disorder?
An auditory processing disorder, or APD, occurs when the ears and the brain do not work together as well as they should. Although people with an APD may think they have hearing loss, they can usually hear fine; instead, their brain is having difficulty processing the sounds. In other words, even though they may be listening carefully, they are not fully understanding or comprehending the information they hear. The audiologists at Hearing Smile Professionals in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, specialize in evaluating and treating APDs and other complex auditory disorders in both children and adults.
What Are the Symptoms of an Auditory Processing Disorder?
Some common signs of an APD include:
- Difficulty understanding speech, especially amid background noise
- Difficulty remembering and following verbal instructions
- Frequently asking for spoken words to be repeated
- Misinterpreting sarcasm and jokes
- Being easily distracted, especially by loud and sudden sounds
- Being overly sensitive to noise
- Struggling academically, particularly with reading and spelling
Understanding Auditory Processing Disorders in Children
In school-age children, APD symptoms may be misinterpreted as immaturity, behavioral problems, or adjustment issues. This makes early detection, an accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment all the more important. For a child who does not accurately process speech, reading skills can be especially difficult to master. As a result, the child may quickly fall behind in school.
Although APDs are more prevalent among children, they can affect adults, too. If you are a parent or teacher of a child who seems to be having trouble communicating—or if you are experiencing issues yourself—you can turn to Hearing Smile Professionals for expert care. By performing a thorough hearing test, we can confirm that your ears are properly receiving sounds. If so, we can then perform an auditory processing disorder evaluation, which may tell us that your brain is not assigning the correct meanings to the auditory signals sent by your ears.
The Impact of APDs on Daily Functioning
An APD can have a significant impact on your daily life in a number of areas. Here are some ways in which an APD can make routine tasks more of a challenge:
- Impeding communication – You may find it difficult to follow conversations in noisy environments or when there are several people speaking at once. This can lead to misunderstandings and frustration, as well as inefficiency in understanding basic instructions.
- Affecting social and emotional well-being – Some individuals with APDs may find themselves withdrawing from social experiences due to communication difficulties. This in turn can affect their personal relationships and overall emotional well-being.
- Hindering performance in the workplace – An APD can also negatively affect your job performance and the ability to move forward in your career. That’s because you may struggle to follow directions in certain contexts, participate in meetings, and take part in other common workplace events.
Treatment & Management Strategies For APDs
There are several strategies that can be used to treat and manage APDs and thereby improve the communication abilities and day-to-day lives of individuals. One example is the use of auditory training exercises, which help the brain learn how to process, understand, and differentiate different types of sounds. Speech-language therapy also targets the communication issues that result from APDs, improving the development of listening comprehension skills with the use of specific strategies.
In some cases, assistive listening devices can be beneficial for those who suffer from an APD. By amplifying the volume of certain sounds while minimizing background noise, they can support listeners with processing information in complex listening environments.
Learn How Hearing Smile Professionals Can Help
To learn more or request an auditory processing disorder evaluation in Lancaster, PA, contact Hearing Smile Professionals today.
