Auditory Processing Disorder

What is Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)?

First, what is auditory processing disorder (APD)? Well very first, what is auditory processing? Simply and sufficiently put, “Auditory processing is what the brain does with what the ears hear.” Jack Katz, Ph.D., CCC-A/SLP. Dr. Jack Katz is both an Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), see more about this father of APD below! What our brain does with sound, uh? That means, your ears hear the sounds t-a-g, your brain synthesizes these into the word tag and connects you to all you know about the common playground game tag: freeze tag, “tag, you’re it!” and so on. When someone has an auditory processing disorder, they may not connect the information from the ear to the correct information in their brain. A child with APD may hear t-a-g, but synthesize the wrong word (tack?), or a word that doesn’t make sense, until the game commences and the dots are connected. Listening in background noise, like on the playground, in a gym, or in a noisy classroom makes listening and understanding even harder! 

Jack Katz, Ph.D., CCC-A/SLP, father of APD

What are the signs APD and how can I know if my child is struggling with this? 

Commons signs of APD include:

• Difficulty hearing speech in noisy environments
• Difficulty maintaining attention
• Problems locating the source/direction of sounds
• Difficulty following directions (especially in noisy environments)
• Frequent requests for information to be repeated
• Inability to detect subtle changes in words (e.g., difficulty detecting rhyming words)
• Display of distracted and/or inattentive behaviors  
• Difficulty learning to read
• Academic difficulties, especially regarding reading and spelling

What should I do next?

If you have concerns that your child is struggling with auditory processing and may have Auditory Processing Disorder, contact Big Horn Basin Hearing and Speech and our professionals can assist you and your child’s academic team, navigating the screening, and perhaps the diagnosis and treatment process. APD is treatable and our special team at Big Horn Basin Hearing and Speech can provide assistance, before, during, and after the APD journey! Our team includes Audiologists, Dr. Levi Asay Au.D., Dr. Tom Rowley Au.D., and Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), Brittany Asay.  Our team can assist with the screening process to determine if further testing is needed. Our specially trained audiologist can provide APD testing, which guides the treatment approaches that are delivered by Brittany. 

Is there a treatment for APD?

Therapy for APD can be delivered to early school aged children through adulthood. Results are often obvious through both comparison to initial testing, as well as observed in improved academic success. As listed above, children with APD often have difficulty learning to read and spell. APD becomes especially evident during decoding, rhyming, and during the transition from learning to read, to reading to learn (about third grade). Academic difficulty can extend beyond reading and spelling into math, science, history, etc., because all subjects require accurate sound and language processing in the brain to connect new information to already established information. Brittany, our Speech-Language Pathologist, is familiar with APD and its treatment. 

If you have concerns about your child’s academic progress and identify with any of the signs listed above, call Big Horn Basin Hearing and Speech at 307-527-6475 to discuss your concerns and the next steps to take.