NACD Journal. Hearing vs. Auditory discrimination—the ability to distinguish between different sounds or words. Auditory sequential processing—how many pieces of information one can listen to receive , store, recall, and utilize. Related to auditory memory.
Often tested in terms of digit spans. Auditory tonal processing—the correct processing of sounds or tones; related somewhat to auditory discrimination, but takes it a step further; has a significant impact on language processing.
Auditory memory—ability to store and recall auditory information. Auditory figure-ground processing—ability to attend to and process an auditory stimulus in the presence of background sound. Language processing—processing the meaning of verbal input.
If you or your child have APD, you may find it difficult to understand: people speaking in noisy places people with strong accents or fast talkers similar sounding words spoken instructions APD is not a hearing problem. People with the condition usually have normal hearing.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:. Electrophysical tests involved in the assessment of central auditory disorders measure the brains response to sounds. Electrodes are place around the ear, either on the ear lobes or behind the ears, and on the head and forehead. Sound is introduced and the electrical responses are recorded. These tests are used to evaluate processes in the brainstem or higher in the brain.
These tests are compared to normative data to determine if an abnormality is present. Think of an EKG and you will understand what type of test this is.
As stated previously, behavioral tests are broken down into four categories. These are tests which require a subjective response from the listener either by speaking, pointing, tapping, humming. These tests assess the ability of the structures low in the brain brainstem to take incomplete information presented to the two ears simultaneously and integrate the information.
For example one portion of the stimuli is presented to one ear and another portion is presented to the other ear at the same time. The two parts are unrecognizable separately, but a person with normal processing abilities is able to recognize and integrate the information to form the appropriate response. Auditory processing disorder is typically diagnosed in school-aged children. APD is somewhat controversial — much debate continues among scientists today about diagnostic criteria for APD, and whether it should be considered a distinct disorder at all.
Individuals with APD experiences difficulties in these four areas of auditory skill, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities 3 :. Take This Test ]. The symptoms of APD can impact listening and communication skills, and they may make academic success difficult to achieve.
The same applies to adults with APD, who may show difficulties with telephone conversations, following directions, and other issues in the workplace 5. They include 6 :.
Some experts also believe that APD is simply part of the sensory processing deficits typically experienced by individuals with ADHD one study that may contribute to this belief, for example, found that children with ADHD who take stimulant medications for treatment do better in hearing and listening tests compared to children with ADHD who took no medication 8.
These tests, for example, may ask patients to listen to tones and identify whether they are high or low, and listen to audio input and repeat back what they heard Clinicians also make sure to rule out hearing loss and other conditions that may be causing the symptoms. Patients should be at least 7 years old by the time of evaluation, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Audiology, as the cognitive functions that are involved in testing are usually still developing in younger children 4.
Auditory processing disorder is considered a lifelong condition. Treatment for APD consists of skills training to reorganize and improve the way the brain processes sound, as well as interventions and accommodations in the classroom, in the workplace, and at home.
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