auditory processing disorder medical devices

#Auditory processing disorder medical devices professional#

They check for ability to hear words in a quiet environment but usually don’t check for difficulty hearing sentences in background noise, understanding rapid speech, or other tasks that are difficult for people with auditory processing issues. Standard hearing tests rarely detect auditory processing problems. (You can read some discussion in this Twitter thread on overlap between the APD and hard-of-hearing communities.) Others have normal hearing, but because of auditory processing difficulties, have experiences that overlap with those of d/Deaf/hard-of-hearing people.

Some people with auditory processing disorders are also d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing. When someone’s brain can’t effectively process sounds, it can make it very difficult to understand spoken words, especially when there’s background noise!Īuditory processing disorders are more common in some neurodivergent people-for example, autistic people-although non-autistic people can have auditory processing disorders too. What are auditory processing issues?Īuditory processing refers to how our brains make sense of the sounds we hear. For us, those include hearing aids, but this is not true of everyone. The authors of this post both strongly believe that d/Deaf/hard-of-hearing people and/or disabled people deserve to be able to choose which accessibility options we use, and when. Although we sometimes have overlapping experiences, there are ways our experiences often differ, and we can’t speak for other people. We also caution readers against generalizing our experiences with hearing aids to those of d/Deaf/hard-of-hearing people, including those who also have an auditory processing disorder. Our experiences may not generalize to any other individual person with auditory processing difficulties. This article describes our experiences as two specific people with auditory processing difficulties who are otherwise hearing. In this post, we give background on auditory processing issues and hearing aids, and also share our personal experiences.The authors of this post both tried specially programmed hearing aids to help with auditory processing issues and with sound sensitivity.Many autistic people have auditory processing problems, as do some non-autistic people. It’s like your brain has difficulty hearing correctly. Auditory processing problems make it difficult to understand spoken words, especially when there’s background noise.They work by enhancing the sounds that help people understand spoken words. Specially programmed low-gain hearing aids can help people with auditory processing problems, even when they don’t have other difficulty hearing.However, this is not the initial and most common treatment. If the paediatric audiologist suggests the use of a hearing aid with an FM system, most health insurances will cover the cost of the treatment once the APD disability level has been determine. In order to minimise problems in learning and in everyday interaction, all therapy offers and aids should be used. If your child is suffering from an Auditory Perception Disorder, you may request services and accommodations at school to help in the classroom. APD is not a disability, but it is s recognized as a “specific learning disability” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

For a more accurate diagnoses, it best to get the opinion of several doctors.Įven if the first ENT doctor finds that hearing is intact and does not suggest any further solutions, it is best to consult a paediatric audiologist. However, the symptoms are often mixed and/or confused with attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD). When suffering from this condition, speech disorders in childhood are particularly common. Particularly in children, APD can negatively impact their school and everyday life. If necessary, they will direct you to an ENT doctor for further examinations.

#Auditory processing disorder medical devices professional#

If you are an adult and are experiencing problems with your hearing, please consult a hearing care professional immediately. Should there be any further concerns, the physician will direct you to a phoniatrist or a paediatric audiologist. If you think your child is suffering from an auditory and/or visual perception disorders, it is best to consult a paediatrician as early as possible. Some adults may have it from childhood, while others may develop APD due to a variety of reasons, including age, trauma, neurologic disease,among others. However, it is believed that an auditory perception disorder can affect both children and adults. Doctors are still unsure where the disorder comes from. In an auditory perception disorder, also known as central auditory perception disorder, what is heard is not transmitted correctly between the inner ear and the brain as the brain cannot hear certain sounds the way it’s supposed to.