Auditory Processing Disorder
in Baton Rouge, LA
If you have ever struggled to understand what someone was saying due to a bad cell phone signal or a noisy environment, you know how frustrating it can be. Your ears work just fine, but you still had trouble getting their message. That’s what it’s like for individuals with an auditory processing disorder. This condition can make it hard for one to understand speech, remember directions, and even learn to read. At Dynamic Therapy Specialists, we have certified audiologists who can diagnose this condition and recommend the proper treatment to help your child overcome these challenges.
What Is Auditory Processing Disorder?
Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a neurological condition that affects the brain’s ability to process and interpret auditory information effectively. Having APD does not mean that your child has trouble hearing, but that their brain is struggling to process and understand what is being heard.
What Causes Auditory Processing Disorder?
APD can be caused by different factors including:
- Genetics
- Premature birth or low birth weight
- Chronic ear infections or other ear-related issues
- Head trauma or brain injury
- Conditions that affect the central nervous system
Signs of Auditory Processing Disorder
Common signs of APD can include:
- Trouble understanding speech, especially in noisy places
- Misunderstanding or misremembering verbal instructions
- Delayed speech and language development
- Trouble focusing
- Often asking others to repeat themselves
- Sensitivity to loud or sudden noises
- Long pauses before responding in conversations
- Challenges hearing the differences between similar words
- Struggles with reading and writing
How Auditory Processing Disorder Can Impact Your Child’s Development
The foundation of reading is knowing the sounds that letters make and how to put those together to form words. Children with APD can struggle to process the differences between sounds and later struggle to read or spell words, which can affect their ability to do well in school. And because APD affects how a child understands speech, they can struggle with holding conversations, which can lead to difficulty making new friends. This can lead to frustration or anxiety which, without proper intervention, can affect a child’s self-esteem and overall well being.
How We Address Auditory Processing Disorder
At Dynamic Therapy Specialists, we take a holistic approach to pediatric therapy. Rather than simply teaching children how to compensate for the skills they struggle with, we take a bottom-up approach by focusing on remediation first. By evaluating the foundational areas of your child’s development, we can identify and address the root causes of their auditory challenges.
Think of it this way: you have to learn to walk before you can learn to run. It’s not that you can’t learn how to run, but if you never learned how to walk first, you’ll be missing the basics that you need to support learning how to run. By prioritizing skill remediation over compensation, we empower children to build a strong foundation for future growth and development.
Most importantly, we have certified audiologists who provide comprehensive testing and recommend the specific interventions your child needs to ensure they can achieve their developmental goals.
Schedule an Evaluation Today
If your child is struggling with auditory processing disorder, our team at Dynamic Therapy Specialists will go above and beyond to help. Call us at (225) 767-5032 to schedule an evaluation, and let’s work together to improve your child’s quality of life.