Adult & Pediatric Audiologist Practicing Near Oxford, PA
Do you or your child have trouble understanding spoken words? You don’t have to continually ask “What?” or, even worse, struggle in silence. Whether you are dealing with hearing loss, a learning disability, or an auditory processing disorder (APD), an audiologist at Hearing Smile Professionals near Oxford, Pennsylvania, can help you resolve the issue.
Our audiologists come to work each day with a singular goal: to improve the hearing of patients who are desperate to have some normalcy in their lives. We believe our training and the latest innovations in hearing loss treatment are the key to making it happen. But, of course, it all starts with a diagnosis.
Tell Me About APDs
An APD is a complex condition that affects the sensory area of the brain known as the auditory cortex, which receives and processes sounds. Although the sounds may be loud and clear, the brain does not pick up on the subtle differences among them. For instance, the words “cat,” “that,” and “bat” may all sound the same. It’s easy to see why this can interfere with both learning and social interactions—and it has nothing to do with intelligence.
Do You Have an Auditory Processing Disorder?
The first step in diagnosing an APD is ruling out hearing loss. Many healthcare professionals offer hearing tests, but only a trained audiologist can perform an auditory processing disorder evaluation. This comprehensive process involves a battery of advanced listening tests and can take up to several hours to complete. Based on the results, the audiologist can confirm the diagnosis and suggest a customized treatment plan to address it.
In many cases, an auditory processing disorder can be effectively managed with a combination of:
- Compensatory strategies, such as making eye contact, paying attention to body language, and taking notes when someone is speaking
- Listening environment modifications, such as eliminating distractions and using assistive listening technologies
- Active listening and problem-solving techniques
- Devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants
Solutions Tailored to Your Needs
We don’t only offer APD testing and treatment. As a fully trained team of audiologists, we’re here to help you get through your hearing issue and into a place of peace and understanding. That’s why we also offer:
Hearing Loss Treatment Pathways
When hearing loss is confirmed, our team’s goal is to create a treatment plan that restores communication and quality of life. Hearing loss treatment may involve fitting hearing aids that are carefully matched to the patient’s hearing profile, counseling on device use, and providing support for adjustments. For those who receive limited benefit from hearing aids or whose hearing loss is more severe, cochlear implants may be considered. We guide patients through all phases, from candidacy evaluation through surgical and post-operative phases, to device programming and ongoing auditory rehabilitation.
Auditory Training Therapy & Rehabilitation
After diagnosis, many patients benefit from auditory training therapy to improve their ability to discriminate sounds, follow speech in noisy conditions, and retain what they hear. Our rehabilitation programs are personalized, focusing on strengthening auditory memory, sequencing, and discrimination skills through repeated listening practice, guided exercises, and real-world listening challenges. For children, these interventions often involve engaging, playful techniques to build listening skills, while adults may engage in strategies tailored to work, social, or conversational settings.
Tinnitus Care and Lenire Tinnitus Treatment
Living with tinnitus can be distressing, as it interferes with concentration, sleep, and mental well-being. We offer comprehensive care for tinnitus sufferers: evaluation of the severity and impact of symptoms, counseling about lifestyle and environmental modifications, sound enrichment strategies, and, when indicated, Lenire tinnitus treatment. Lenire is a scientifically developed therapy combining sound stimulation with gentle tongue stimulation to help retrain the brain’s response to tinnitus. This treatment is offered in conjunction with support and follow-ups to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed.
The Choice for You
At Hearing Smile Professionals, we tailor the type, frequency, and intensity of our APD therapy to the age and needs of each patient.
For information about our services, please contact us to request an appointment with an adult or pediatric audiologist at our speech and hearing center near Oxford, PA. We look forward to meeting you and helping you communicate to the best of your ability. We also treat tinnitus.
