APD/CAPD: AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER
Auditory processing, also named central auditory processing, refers to the ability of processing and of integrating the auditory information. APD when present in a child, typically does not affect the hearing acuity, but it will impact on his or her learning skills and could be confused with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) or Learning Disorder (LD). Sometimes APD will coexist with either or both conditions.
When properly diagnosed, appropriate therapeutic measures could be put in place in the home and in the educational setting to optimize the child's chances for success.
At our clinic, we perform assessments for Auditory Processing Disorders from the age of 7 and up. A typical session lasts about 2 hours during which a basic hearing test is completed to rule out the presence of a hearing loss and then we proceed to more challenging tests ex: listening to pitch patterns, words in the presence of background noise, words in a sequence etc. A comprehensive written report is then issued and mailed to you in the following weeks.
When children are under 7 years old but already display some or all of the listening, language, or learning difficulties which could be found in APD, we propose a different type of assessment which we believe is more appropriate for that age level: A basic hearing test combined with the TEA-Ch test
(Test of Everyday Attention for Children). This allows us to confirm the presence of normal hearing acuity and to screen the child's attention abilities, therefore allowing us to determine the best course of action for the near future, whether it would be a more thorough investigation of his or her attention in neuropsychology or a comprehensive auditory processing evaluation later on.
Usefull links: Learning Disability Association of Quebec
When we are assessing adults, recommendations on modifying the listening environment and improving personnal listening skills
will differ slightly. |
