A lot of times, kids with auditory processing difficulties might miss information or misunderstand what you say because they mishear words,” says Cortese. “They’re not detecting the subtle differences in sounds.” They may also find it harder to learn to read and to express themselves clearly.

There are many different types of processing disorder and many different symptoms, which can include trouble drawing or copying, inability to detect differences in shapes or letters, and letter reversals. Visual processing disorders (VPDs) affect many students diagnosed with language-based learning disabilities.

Five main problem areas can affect students with APD:

• Auditory figure-ground problems: when a child can’t pay attention if there’s noise in the background.
• Auditory memory problems: when a child has difficulty remembering information such as directions, lists, or study materials.

Classroom Materials and Routines

1. Post visual schedules, but also say them out loud.
2. Describe visual presentations aloud and/or provide narration.
3. Build in time to summarize the important information from each lesson.
4. Provide uncluttered handouts with few or no nonessential images.

Help develop a student’s ability to discriminate shapes by encouraging the student to visually identify pictures of shapes and their features at different distances. Once a student is able to this, you can further develop their skills by having them match a series of shapes or beads by color and form.

The child may also not be able use the eyes together, may have difficulty separating foreground from background or locating an item in space, may have difficulty judging distance, may miss visual details and social cues, and may have difficulty using vision to guide body movements, etc.

About slow processing speed Slow processing speed can happen on its own. But it often co-occurs with ADHD, dyslexia , and anxiety. Telling people with slow processing speed to “hurry up” can add to their anxiety and make them take longer to complete a task. Get tips on how to talk to kids about slow processing speed .

APD is not a learning disorder. The brain cannot hear certain sounds the way it’s supposed to. When someone suffers from APD they have a problem understanding the meaning of what is being said.

Here are some of the changes parents and teachers can make in the environment to help kids with auditory processing difficulties listen and learn more effectively:

1. Preferred seating.
2. Use visual cues.
3. Emphasize key words.
4. Give kids a heads up when something important is coming.
5. Help with sequencing.
6. Assistive technology.

The areas of the brain responsible for auditory processing abilities grow and develop until around age 13, when the auditory system is considered to be more mature and adult-like. Due to this, it is possible that a child who was diagnosed with APD before age 13 could essentially “grow out” of it.

Treating APD with Lifestyle Changes

1. Improve classroom acoustics.
2. Seat children near the front of the class, away from an open door or a pencil sharpener or other classroom items that make noise, like fans or fish tanks.
3. Provide attention prompts.
4. Streamline communication.
5. Use visual aids.
6. Build in breaks.

Difficulties processing sounds, often described as central auditory processing disorder or auditory processing disorder (CAPD/APD), are particularly common in people with autism.

People of all ages can have APD. It often starts in childhood, but some people develop it later. Between 2% and 7% of kids have it, and boys are more likely to have it than girls.

It’s important to know that CAPD is not an intellectual disability. It also isn’t autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or simply “bad” behaviour. With treatment, people with CAPD can learn to cope with it.

As people age, minor auditory processing problems grow and can impact daily life. The auditory nervous system becomes a little less flexible with age, meaning that listening and processing language, especially with background noise, is more challenging.

6 Ways to help students with an auditory processing disorder in the classroom

1. Provide visual cues.
2. Give them more time.
3. Be aware of environmental distractors.
4. Pay attention to how you deliver spoken information.
5. Teach specific listening strategies.
6. Reinforce language skills.

Because of this, individuals with Auditory Processing Disorder may participate less in conversation in order to avoid ridicule or frustration. Their behavior can also be mistaken for a lack of intelligence, defiance, or inadequate social skills.

Auditory Processing Disorder is relatively rare – with only about 3-4 percent of the population truly having APD – and is not always fully understood. Currently, APD is recognized as a “specific learning disability” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The most common way to diagnose APD is to use a specific group of listening tests. Audiologists often look for these main problem areas in kids with APD: Auditory figure-ground: This is when a child has trouble understanding speech when there is speech babble or ambient noise in the background.

APD and Depression According to research by NCBI, both children and adults suffering from auditory processing disorder tend to suffer from poor mental health and are at high risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Although comparatively little is known about the behavioral characteristics of individuals with APD, clinical profiles may include reading and spelling difficulties, phonological deficits, poorer verbal than performance IQ, and poor vocabulary (Bellis, 2006) — all of which are likely to be observed in children with …

Impacts of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) on Emotion & Behaviour. Common sounds and noises could easily distract and overwhelm children and adults with auditory processing disorder. This leads to anxiety, frustration, and other behaviours such as: Slow or incorrect response to questions.

“Those with APD often develop issues with language development, hearing in noise, and sound localization. Risks associated include not being able to participate in noisy environments which can often result in depression and anxiety.”

ADHD may also coexist with an auditory processing disorder. Studies suggest that 50% of children diagnosed with ADHD may also have APD.

Just as APD can affect a child’s ability to focus, so an attention deficit can affect auditory processing. Symptoms of the two disorders often overlap. Studies suggest that 50 percent of those diagnosed with ADHD may also have APD.

Central auditory processing disorders may co-exist with various mental disorders such as: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, autism, chronic alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, adult autistic disorder, Schizophrenia, anorexia and mental retardation.

Research indicates up to 70% of individuals with dyslexia have an underlying auditory processing disorder. According to the National Institutes of Health, in children referred for learning difficulties, around 43% have Auditory Processing Disorder (APD).

APD would be a part of what is now being described as ‘Neurodiversity’ a positive term for people who experience learning differences but who also have great strengths that come with the territory in experiencing dyslexia and other conditions.

Adults with APD tend to show difficulties in all aspects of their lives and especially at work. They show difficulties with telephone conversations, following complex directions, learning a new language, and so on. Therefore, most adults with APD often have trouble at work.

Conclusion: The study revealed a relationship between working memory capacity and auditory stream segregation in children with APD. The research suggests that lower working memory capacity in children with APD may be the possible cause of the inability to segregate and group incoming information.