Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a condition where the sounds registered by the ear are not processed correctly by the brain. While all parts of the ear are functioning properly, the auditory processing centers in the brain do not function normally.

As a neurological defect, people with APD have trouble deciphering noises from background noises, hearing subtle differences in sound within spoken words, or difficulty making sense of the order in which verbal sounds are heard. As a result, sufferers have trouble listening, processing, and remembering language-related sounds.

As a neurological defect, APD tends to be identified in childhood and typically presents as some of the following symptoms:

• Having trouble remembering and understanding spoken directions or explanations
• Difficulty following a series of instructions
• Trouble understanding rapid speech or complex sentences
• Slow to understand or express ideas and comments
• Misspelling or confusing similar-sounding words
• Easily distracted by background noise
• Trouble staying focused on and remembering spoken presentations or lectures
• Prolonged difficulty learning to read and write