Auditory Processing Disorder
Harley Street Hearing’s clinical audiologists offer professional testing and treatment for Auditory Processing Disorder (APD).
If you feel that you might be suffering from APD, we understand how frustrating it can be. We have helped many patients to overcome the difficulties associated with APD through various treatment tools such as auditory retraining techniques and assistive listening devices.
To book a consultation at one of our London hearing clinics, call us using the button or fill in the contact form below.
Testing for Auditory Processing Disorder
Testing for Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is conducted by one of our APD specialists using a special battery of speech-processing tests which measure your active listening skills.
These tests include localisation of sound, discrimination of speech and degraded speech, among others, which can inform an effective management strategy.
Book an appointment
Do I need an Auditory Processing test?
If you feel like you (or your child) has a hearing loss but hearing tests show no problems with the ears, then APD may be present.
If any of the following symptoms resonate with you, we would recommend booking a consultation.
You should book a test, if you:
- Have poor understanding of speech when in noisy situations such as restaurants, but your hearing test is normal;
- Have difficulty understanding people with strong accents;
- Find similar words confusing;
- Find you withdraw from social and work situations;
- Have speech developmental delay issues;
- Are not participating in class and falling behind with schoolwork;
- Need frequent repetition and find it difficult to follow instructions.
Auditory Processing Disorder Treatment
There are currently no pharmaceutical or surgical cures for Auditory Processing Disorder, but the symptoms can be managed.
Through auditory retraining exercises, we can help patients to practise different listening skills and use the brain’s plasticity to strengthen the mechanisms of speech processing.
In some cases, hearing aids or specialised hearing technology called assistive listening devices may be a viable solution to help patients achieve effective symptom management. However, this will depend upon the underlying causes of APD and is something that can be identified by a clinical audiologist through your APD assessment.
Book an Auditory Processing Disorder Test
Harley Street Hearing’s clinical audiologists are specially trained in performing APD evaluations and administering intervention strategies to help manage the condition.
We offer APD testing at our hearing clinics in London. Click here to find your nearest clinic or to book an appointment with our APD specialists, call us or fill out our contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no clear consensus to an actual date of Auditory Processing discovery. However, as early as the 1950’s, researchers were starting to become aware of the symptoms of speech processing challenges in some children.
Hearing and listening are a subjective sense, therefore everyone experiences it differently. Because of this it is difficult to describe how it may sound, but it can affect the way one might hear and differentiate speech sounds.
Auditory Processing Disorder does not affect speech and oral production directly; however, it can affect the ability of one to correctly hear and decipher speech. Thus, during early developmental years this can impact speech and language learning.
There are currently no pharmaceutical nor surgical cures for Auditory Processing Disorder. However, there are tools such as auditory retraining techniques, and assistive listening devices that can help patients to overcome the difficulties associated with APD.
Auditory Processing Disorder is not a disability, however the way the symptoms can manifest can make it difficult for someone to go about their day-to-day tasks.
Auditory Processing Disorder and Dyslexia are not the same thing; however, they do share some of the same symptoms and the presence of both can further exacerbate the other.
Strictly speaking, Auditory Processing Disorder is not progressive, but other co–morbid conditions can worsen its symptoms.
If you have noticed recent difficulties with understanding speech in background noise, or difficulties with concentrating or localising sound, this could suggest symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder, and therefore you should speak with your GP or audiologist about having a test.
Testing for Auditory Processing Disorder is usually done by a specialised clinician (an audiologist) who uses a battery of speech-processing tests to measure an individual’s active listening skills. These skills include localisation of sound and discrimination of both clear and degraded speech, among others.
Auditory Processing Disorder can be caused by a variety of factors. Underlying genetic and developmental conditions such as ADHD and ASD can lead to APD. As well, acquired causes like traumatic brain injuries, repetitive ear infections/auditory deprivation and age-related factors.
Auditory processing is the complex process of the brain interpreting, and making sense of the auditory information that was received by the ear and auditory system. APD can arise when this operation is disrupted, or is not functioning correctly, and can lead you to have difficulty understanding speech, especially in noisy environments. It can affect both children and adults of varying ages.
Auditory Processing Disorder does not affect speech and oral production directly; however, it can affect the ability of one to correctly hear and decipher speech. So during early developmental years this can impact speech and language learning.
Auditory Processing Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are not the same thing; however, ASD affects the development of the brain, and this can lead to the development of Auditory Processing Disorder. The signs and symptoms of both may overlap with one another and can make identifying one from the other more challenging.
Symptoms of auditory processing disorder (APD) can overlap with those of other developmental disorders, such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or ASD (autism spectrum disorder), and this can make it difficult to know if one has APD without having had a thorough assessment. There are celebrities who have spoken openly and shared their experiences about having other developmental disorders but not about APD.
Strictly speaking Auditory Processing Disorder is not a genetic disorder, but one can have family history or genes that may predispose them to develop APD. Other causes can include prenatal factors, diseases of the ear, trauma, or injury to the head and/or ears, and age-related changes.
Auditory processing is the complex process of the brain interpreting, and making sense, of the auditory information that was received by the ear and auditory system. Auditory Processing Disorder can arise when this operation is disrupted or is not functioning correctly and can lead you to having difficulty understanding speech, especially in noisy environments.
