Children with APD Adelaide cannot verbally follow instructions and express themselves. They may also have difficulty making eye contact and maintaining a steady posture. They may also have trouble understanding sarcasm and humour.
This condition looks like a hearing problem, an intellectual disability or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but it isn’t any of these. It is a central auditory processing disorder.
Diagnosis
People with APD struggle to hear sounds, distinguish speech from noise and understand words. Symptoms can look similar to those of deafness or hearing loss, intellectual disability, dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It can make diagnosis difficult.
To determine if someone has APD, they will undergo a series of tests. These include trials assessing their ability to locate, discriminate and identify different sounds. They will also be tested for their ability to assimilate sounds, i.e. link incoming sounds to corresponding information stored in the brain.
The assessment process may involve interviewing the person and their family or significant others to obtain additional information about their lifestyle and daily activities. The audiologist will then carry out the test battery. It usually takes up to an hour. The results will then be discussed with the audiologist, and recommendations will be made. South Australia Speech and Hearing Centre is an independent service provider, dual-qualified in speech pathology and audiology.
Treatment
Most children with SASHC APD Adelaide have other conditions that can make their symptoms more severe. That is why seeing a doctor as soon as possible is essential. They will perform various tests to determine the cause of your child’s problem. They may also conduct interviews with them to get more information about their daily life.
These tests can include things like speech recognition and brain scanning. The audiologist can then use this information to diagnose the condition. They will also recommend treatment options.
Treatment options for APD include top-down environmental modifications and auditory training. These modifications involve checking for comprehension, complementing verbal speech with visual cues, slowing the speaking rate, repeating critical information, and providing written instructions. It is also essential to ensure that children with APD understand the difference between sounds and their meanings. They may struggle to distinguish similar sounds, leading to confusion and problems with sarcasm and humour.
Symptoms
People with APD have normal hearing but struggle to ‘make sense’ of the sounds they hear. It can make it difficult for them to follow directions, learn in noisy classrooms and keep up with their friends. It also makes it hard for them to understand sarcasm and humour.
South Australia Speech and Hearing Centre (SASHC) is an independent service provider dual-qualified in speech pathology and audiology and specialises in formally diagnosing APD in children and adults. Our comprehensive APD assessment includes an auditory brainstem response test and various listening tasks. For more information about the SASHC APD Adelaide, click here.
Prevention
Most children with APD have other disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder or developmental disorder. However, it is essential to note that these other disorders do not cause APD; they only make it more likely that a child will have the condition. Fortunately, children can be tested for APD before they develop these other conditions.
South Australia Speech and Hearing Centre Adelaide provides:
- Speech and language assessments and intervention.
- Hearing assessment in adults and children.
- SASHC APD assessments.
Call today to learn more.
SASHC APD Adelaide
SASHC APD Adelaide is a condition that affects how a person hears and processes sounds. It can cause problems with understanding speech, following directions and responding quickly when asked questions. It is a common disorder, but many people are unaware they have it. It is because the symptoms are similar to hearing loss, an intellectual disability, a learning problem, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or depression.
If you have a child with Central Auditory Processing Disorder, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are many treatments available to children with this condition. Most of these treatments are based on cognitive behaviour therapy. These techniques teach children how to control their emotions and behave more appropriately. By doing this, they can avoid negative behaviours that are associated with this condition.