About Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

What is Auditory Processing Disorder?

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a condition that can make it difficult to understand and process speech, especially in background noise.  People who suffer from APD can have trouble discriminating between different speech sounds and have difficulty connecting them to the letters of the alphabet. This can impact reading and writing ability. APD can manifest in children and adults in many ways including; learning, language development, socialisation and general life skills.

“Auditory processing is what the brain does with what the ears hear.”
— Jack Katz, Ph.D., CCC-A/SLP

The cause of APD is unknown. Research suggests the condition may be linked to chronic ear infections in childhood and delays in nervous system growth. Other indicators include premature birth and head injury. APD is present in both children and adults.

People who are diagnosed with APD may also experience difficulty with attention, issues with memory and processing, poor literacy and numeracy skills as well as a number of neurodevelopmental disorders.  

Auditory Processing Disorder can co-occur alongside other conditions such as ADHD, ASD, dyslexia and many other conditions:

People with APD are often accused of not listening, when in reality their brain is not processing speech quickly or accurately.

APD is common in older adults, particularly when hearing loss is present.  In adults, APD can be present from birth or be acquired later in life through events such as stroke, tumors, concussion, degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and COVID-19.

Is an auditory processing deficit common and does it actually affect learning? 

There are a LOT of misconceptions about auditory processing. Here are a few facts and published statistics:

  •  Reading is built on language 

  •  Language is built on auditory input (processing) 

  •  83% of children struggling with reading or language will benefit from auditory processing therapy (JSPT, 2018; JAAA, 2016; LSHSS, 2020)

  •  Where a need is present, a student will progress HALF as quickly with reading and language development if they DO NOT participate in therapy compared to a child that does participate in therapy. (LSHSS, 2020) 

  • Auditory processing disorder IS treatable.

What are some of the signs to look out for?

If you or somebody you care about has some of these indicators, it may be worth seeking an APD assessment:

  • Difficulty with reading, spelling or reading comprehension

  • Difficulty remembering auditory (spoken) instructions and information

  • Difficulty organising sounds in a proper sequence

  • Problems successfully combining auditory (spoken / head) and visual information

  • Difficulty with locating where a sound is coming from

  • Problems attending to different information presented to opposite ears

  • A consistent delay in responding to questions or instructions

  • Difficulty understanding speech when background noise is present.

What are some of the different types of APD?

  • DECODING: Flustered or confused; Mixes up sounds; Says “huh” or “what” a lot; Trouble understanding TV.

  • LOCALISATION: Not sure where sounds come from; Difficulty locating sounds.

  • ORGANISATION: Difficulty maintaining order / sequence.

  • TOLERANCE-FADING MEMORY (TFM) / NOISE: Confused in noise; Easily distracted; Needs quiet to study; Sensitive to loud sounds.

  • TOLERANCE FADING MEMORY (TFM) / MEMORY: Forgetful; short-term memory problems.

  • VARIOUS: Impulsive; Short attention span.

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