Auditory Processing Center

earing and normal intelligence, they have trouble using sound information coming from the ears because their brain does not process sounds in the normal way. This can mimic a hearing loss, and it is often overlooked if a child passes a hearing test. APD is often misdiagnosed as another disorder with similar symptoms such as ADHD, and can coexist with many other learning disabilities. In fact, studies show as many as 70% of children with dyslexia have an underlying auditory processing disorder. If APD is not diagnosed and treated, these children end up doing years of extra reading instruction working around an underlying problem. Many children with APD have auditory discrimination problems affecting their ability to recognize subtle differences between sounds in words (such as pig/big/dig and seventy/seventeen). This causes them to struggle academically because the ability to distinguish the distinct and separate sounds in words is an important prerequisite for reading and spelling. Many of these individuals also have trouble keeping up with ongoing speech and understanding when information, especially new ideas, are presented quickly and out of context. Some children may be able to repeat the words back word for word, but the meaning of the message is lost, not processed. In addition, APD makes it very difficult to block out competing background noises, and these individuals try so hard to understand that they forget parts of what they hear. The term “auditory processing disorder” is used by many people in very different ways, and many professionals do not know about APD or have a misunderstanding of what it is. For example, speech-language pathologists and psychologists often use tests that incorporate the terms “auditory processing” or “auditory perception” but these tests are actually assessing higher-level language processing and are not diagnostic tools for APD. True APD can only be diagnosed or ruled out by an audiologist with specialized training in the evaluation of the central auditory nervous system. APD is treatable, but there is not a one-size-fits-all approach. There are many different types of APD that require different management strategies. Auditory Processing Center was founded to help children struggling academically who may be falling through the cracks due to a listening related learning disability reach their full potential. Alicia Swann, MCD, CCC-A, Educational Audiologist at Auditory Processing Center, LLC, in Clinton Mississippi has over 26 years’ experience in the evaluation and treatment of APD. If your child is exhibiting symptoms of APD, feel free to call Auditory Processing Center at 601-488-4189 to discuss your concerns and determine if your child will benefit from an APD evaluation.