Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) refers to difficulty understanding and processing speech, even with normal hearing. Those with APD may be unable to pick up on the subtle differences between speech sounds. APD can impact people of all ages. Some signs of APD include but are not limited to:

• Often asking people to repeat themselves or saying “Huh?” or “What?”
• Trouble following a conversation, especially if there are multiple speakers or lots of background noise
• Trouble remembering details of things that are read or spoken
• Taking longer to respond when someone speaks
• Difficulty following spoken directions, especially multi-step ones

There are four auditory processing skills that people with APD may struggle with:

• Auditory sequencing: this is the ability to understand and recall the order of words and sounds
• Auditory discrimination: this is the ability to notice, compare, and distinguish between separate sounds
• Auditory memory: this is the ability to recall what you have heard, either immediately or in the future
• Auditory figure-ground discrimination: this is the ability to focus on the important sounds within a noisy environment.

How to test for Auditory Processing Disorder (APD):

• Due to the complex nature of APD, there are several factors required to be eligible for testing:
• Must be at least 7 years old
• Have normal hearing, normal speech and language skills
• Have normal intelligence
• Prior to testing, an audiological evaluation including acoustic reflex testing, otoacoustic emissions and speech-in-noise testing will be performed to confirm normal hearing sensitivity.
• Once a referral has been made, the patient can move forward with testing for APD.
• To test for APD, a provider will administer a series of tests within a sound-treated room.
• The tests administered will require the listener to attend to a variety of signals and respond to them via repetition, pushing a button, or in some other way.
• Following testing, the results of each test will be compiled and reviewed to determine if a diagnosis of APD is appropriate.

To receive a list of clinics in the area that perform APD testing, please call Alexandria Hearing Centers at (703)-372-9792.