Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) and How it Affects Learning
Auditory processing is a neurological communication between the ears and the brain that is responsible for helping us make sense of what we hear. In auditory processing, the brain must identify the incoming sounds and make an analysis of those sounds and attach meaning to them.
Auditory processing can be critical to learning and communication, because it is responsible for saving, organizing and interpreting information from what we hear – auditory input.
Deficits in this area, called Auditory Processing Disorders (APDs), will result in listening difficulties, even when affected individuals are found to have normal hearing. APDs occur when a student experiences dysfunction in the central auditory nervous system. Data show that roughly 3%-5% of all children have an APD. APDs impact on learning can be significant and can vary across developmental levels.
The brain’s ability to effectively process information heard with the ears directly affects a person’s ability to attend, understand and remember information, and so is crucial for ongoing learning and communication.
Early and differential diagnosis can be important, especially when APD coexists with other disorders or learning disabilities. APD is an auditory deficit that is NOT the result of other higher-order cognitive, language, or related disorders that affect a person’s ability to understand auditory information. For example, individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may exhibit poor listening skills and have trouble understanding or recalling verbal and instructions; however, their actual neural processing of that auditory input in the CNS is not the cause. Instead, it is the attention deficit that is impeding their ability to access or use the auditory information that is coming in. Similarly, children with autism may have significant difficulty with spoken language comprehension. However, in their case it is the higher-order, global deficit of autism that causes their difficulties, not a specific neurological auditory dysfunction.
Even though APD may coexist with other disorders, including language, reading, learning, or attention deficit disorders, it is important to understand that they are not rooted in the same central nervous system and brain dysfunctions, and so effective treatment strategies may differ significantly.
Source: Comm0n Ground
