Have you ever noticed that your child has difficulty processing information or following instructions? Or do you suspect that he cannot hear you properly? If that is the case then there is a possibility that your child is suffering from a disorder called Auditory Processing Disorder.
Auditory Processing Disorder is a condition in which the brain is unable to process the sounds it hears. In this disorder, the ears and the brain do not completely coordinate. Kids who are suffering from this disorder are unable to process what they hear as well as other kids do. It affects around 5% of all school-going children.
Children with APD do not have any hearing disability but have difficulty distinguishing the different sounds. Thus, the kids affected usually don’t recognize the difference between sounds in words. They may invert a word with a similar-sounding word. Also, children with this disorder do not have lower intelligence but rather struggle with a specific group of skills. The disorder requires a proper lab test for diagnosis. As of now, there is no cure for the disorder. However, it can be controlled or managed through proper assistance and therapy.
Signs And Symptoms to Look Out For
1. The child is easily distracted by background noise
2. The child cannot recall the order of sounds in a word
3. The child finds it difficult to differentiate two distinct sounds
4. He has reading, writing, spelling, and other speech-language difficulties
5. Is unable to learn and follow instructions
6. Slow processing of thoughts
It is often seen that 43% of kids with learning difficulties are suffering from Auditory Processing Disorder. APD very often coexists with other conditions like ADHD, ADD, Speech/ language disorder, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, and visual processing disorder. Kids with only APD are often misdiagnosed with another condition.
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What Causes APD?
Although there are several factors that can cause APD, the following are the major red flags to look out for:
- Traumatic labor is due to the use of forceps, long labor, or being stuck in the birth canal.
- Brain injury
- Lead poisoning
- Premature birth resulting in the delay of the development of the auditory canal
- Language delay
- Jaundice
- Genetic History
- History of frequent ear infections
The kids experiencing frequent ear infections are at a higher risk of APD because speech is hampered when the middle ear is full of fluid. The fluid in the canal causes inaccurate coding of speech and often long-term damage.
Diagnosis
It is difficult for a parent to understand why a child might be having trouble hearing or following a simple conversation. Many times, a hearing test at birth will not determine this underlying disorder. So, it is best to have a thorough examination done by an audiologist. Only an audiologist can detect and diagnose this disorder and provide guidance to control or manage it.
To diagnose APD, the audiologist will administer a series of tests in a sound-treated room. These tests require listeners to attend to a variety of signals and to respond to them. Most of the tests of APD require that a child be at least 7 or 8 years of age. For this reason, the test interpretation may not be possible in younger kids due to the variability in brain function.
How can Parents Help?
APD can be controlled and managed through correct diagnosis and proper therapy. Kids with APD can not only be successful in school but in every aspect of life if given the correct therapy. For this, early diagnosis is important. If the condition isn’t caught and treated early, a child can have speech and language delays resulting in other learning problems. The good news is parents can easily assist in keeping the issue in control by doing their bit. One doesn’t need to be a speech or language specialist to try out these simple steps given below:
1. Face your child and say the words in a slow and exaggerated tone.
2. Make sure to enunciate clearly and move your mouth to match the sound so that your child can then repeat this word back to you.
3. Reduce or eliminate certain distracting sounds.
4. Repeat yourself and ask the child to repeat the same to see whether the instruction was followed.
5. Speak in concise and simple language avoiding any unnecessary detail;
7. Use relaxation techniques to ease the mind.
8. Try to get your child’s attention before speaking to her by touching on their shoulder or hand.
How can School Help
It is also very important to make the teachers or the school aware of your child’s condition. This way, teachers can pay more attention to your child in terms of minimizing distractions. They can make the child sit near the front of the class so they can hear and focus better. Teachers can come up with prompts to remind the child to focus. All of this will make the difficult journey of learning simplified and easy to follow.
Early detection, diagnosis, and timely help can pave the way towards minimizing stress and overall success in life. Speech therapy can help kids with this disorder to understand and make sounds better. It also improves their reading and comprehension skills.
There are several online and in-person support groups that can help parents facing similar situations to cope and deal better. Feel free to reach out for help if things get overwhelming. Often being with people who are experiencing the same makes the journey easier! Sharing your stories, ideas, and treatments can make a difference in somebody else’s life too.
You can let us know in the comments if you had any experience with this disorder and how treatment helped. Any new information is always helpful and welcome!
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