AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER

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Auditory processing disorder is a condition that affects 5% of the school aged children. Kids with this condition cannot process what they hear in the same way as other kids do. This is because their ears and brain don't fully coordinate. 
    People of all ages can have APD. It often starts in childhood, but some people develop it later. Between 2% to 7% of kids have it and boys are more affected than girls.



CAUSES:-
  • Illness
  • Chronic ear infection
  • Meningitis 
  • Lead poisoning
  • Diseases of nervous system (multiple sclerosis)
  • Premature birth 
  • Low birth weight
  • Head injury
  • Genes
However the exact cause is not known.

How do you know if your child has APD?
  • Difficulty localizing sounds
  • Difficulty understanding spoken language in busy environment or when presented rapidly.
  • Taking longer to respond 
  • Frequent requests for repetition
  • Difficulty comprehending rapid speech 
  • Difficulty in
  1. Understanding complex auditory commands
  2. Learning songs or rhymes 
  3. Paying attention 
  4. Music and singing skills
  5. Associated reading, spelling and learning 
  6. Learning new languages.


MANAGEMENT
-CLASSROOM SUPPORT 
-MAKING OTHER SKILLS STRONGER
        Things like memory, problem solving and other learning skills can help the child deal with APD.
- SPEECH THERAPY
- SUPPORT AT HOME 
            Cover hard floors with rugs to reduce echoes, limit the use of TV,. radio and other noisy electronics.


COMMON QUESTIONS 
1. Is APD a form of autism?
    APD is a hearing disorder. It isn't the result of other conditions that may affect understanding or attention like ASD or ADHD. APD can occur along with these conditions though.

2. Is APD a mental illness?
    APD is also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). It's a condition that impacts the brains ability to filter and interpret sounds. People with APD can hear but have a hard time receiving, organizing and Processing auditory information.

3. Can a child grow out of APD?
     The areas of the brain responsible for auditory processing abilities grow and develop upto the age of 13 years. Due to this, it is possible that a child diagnosed before that could grow out of it.

4. Does auditory processing affect memory?
    Auditory processing disorder causes a child to find difficulty in memorizing telephone numbers, addresses, mathematic multiplication tables, instructions given orally, etc

-Dr. MARIA JENNIFER PINTO (P.T.)
     
         

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