(Central) Auditory Processing Disorder

(Central) Auditory Processing Disorder (C)APD has been identified as one of the leading causes of learning and/or behavioural problems in school children. The incidence of (C)APD has been conservatively estimated to affect 3 to 5% of the population making it more common than the incidence of hearing loss (Chermak & Musiek, 1998).

What is (Central) Auditory Processing?
Put simply, auditory processing is what the brain does with what the ears hear. It is an essential foundation skill for learning and communication as it enables us to gain meaning from what we hear.

What is (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder?
(C)APD occurs when the brain has difficulty understanding what the ears hear. A traditional hearing test does not detect (C)APD as these individuals’ ears may function normally … it is not until the information reaches the brain that it can become jumbled and confused.

Consider the following teacher’s instruction “Class, before you turn to page 56 of your maths book, get out your social studies homework from yesterday and put it at the top of your desk for me to come and collect.” Those students who are able to process multiple instructions at once, for example, have an obvious advantage over those who only catch the beginning or the end of the instruction.

How does (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder present?
(C)APD affects people differently, and not all individuals present with the same symptoms. Having said this, the most common characteristics are:

  • Not being able to “listen” well when there is background noise
  • Tending to require frequent clarification of information or instructions
  • Attention and concentration difficulties
  • Requiring a long time to complete school work and homework
  • Not performing to academic potential
  • Reading and spelling difficulties

These students are often considered to be “selective listeners” or “day dreamers”, particularly in noisy school environments. Our (C)APD Checklist can help you determine if a student should undergo formal testing for (C)APD.

For some students with (C)APD, difficulties become evident early on where they confuse sounds when learning to speak. Others will not experience problems with speech development but many will have difficulty following more than one or two instructions at a time. It is a common misconception that all students with (C)APD will have reading and spelling problems – many do not but may have trouble getting their imaginative ideas down onto paper or experience difficulty with comprehension or problem solving tasks.

More Information
What are the causes of (C)APD?
(C)APD Assessment
Fast ForWord for (C)APD