Many parents wonder why their child struggles with understanding speech despite passing a hearing test. Today, we’ll explore what auditory processing disorders are, how they can impact daily life, and how they differ from attention-related issues.
What Is Auditory Processing?
Auditory processing can best be described as what the brain is doing with what the ears are hearing. Oftentimes, parents will say, “Well, my child passed their hearing screening.” And we have to explain that yes, your child’s equipment is working. However, they’re having a difficult time processing that information.
Once it gets into the brain, that can look like a difficulty perceiving the differences between sounds that are very, very close. It can also look like having a difficult time filtering out or ignoring background noise.
For example, when I’m in a noisy environment, I have to be able to focus my hearing on what I want to be listening to. I also have to be able to ignore other sounds like chairs moving, people walking down the hall, the air conditioner turning on, etc. As long as my system feels safe and in a regulated state, I should be able to ignore subtle sounds and really focus on the primary source of auditory information that I’m wanting to process at that time.
The Challenges of an Auditory Processing Disorder
When you have an auditory processing disorder, it might look like that you are having a difficult time perceiving the differences between sounds that are really, really close. We’ve all had the instance where someone says something and you go, “Wait, what did you say?” And they say it again, and it’s really, really close to what you thought they said, but it’s not. It was just a little bit of a difference.
When it happens one time, it’s probably just an auditory glitch. Your brain just missed something, and you heard something that wasn’t there. However, if that’s happening on a regular basis, then that can be an auditory processing disorder. If you’re not efficiently and effectively being able to tell the differences between sounds.
What It’s Like to Have an Auditory Processing Disorder
When we are really focusing on what someone is saying, we tend to lean in. We tend to squint our eyes. We tend to focus really hard. If you’ve ever had a cell phone call where the connection is not that good and you’re not hearing everything that’s being said, you really need all of your energy to efficiently process what you are hearing.
And that can be very similar to what it’s like to have an auditory processing disorder and to be living with that. It is about fatigue. It is about inefficiencies and really having to focus on what you’re hearing.
How Can an Auditory Processing Disorder Be Addressed?
The good news is that an auditory processing disorder is something that can be remediated. It can be fixed with practice. We can improve the brain’s ability to reorganize the auditory system and be able to more efficiently hear the differences in sounds quicker and more efficiently.
At DTS, one of the things that we specialize in is auditory processing. We are one of the only clinics in the Baton Rouge area that has audiologists on staff who specialize in auditory processing intervention. From the evaluation process and diagnosis to the intervention, our entire team specializes in auditory processing therapy.
We are able to look at the way that your child’s system is processing sound and put together an intervention plan that will improve that ability. This will help your child better process sounds in noisy environments when they are under stress, like during tests or in school when there are a lot of other competing sounds.
What Causes Auditory Processing Disorders?
Like most things, there can always be a genetic or hereditary component. You can have a family history of a weak auditory system.
You can also have a history of ear infections. Although we know this is not causal, there is a strong correlation. We see a lot of kids who have a history of ear infections who then later come in with auditory processing difficulties.
Some types of illness or injury can also cause an auditory processing disorder.
Sometimes Auditory Processing Disorder Looks Like ADHD
Oftentimes, there is an overlap in the symptoms that we see for children who have an auditory processing disorder and children who have ADHD. It is possible to have both at the same time. You can absolutely, truly have ADHD and also have an inefficient auditory processing system.
But an auditory processing disorder can make you look like you’re struggling with focus and attention, because the symptoms look very, very similar. When your brain is having to work really hard to process sound, then you are going to be more likely to fatigue.
Your system is going to get tired sooner than other students in the classroom, and you are going to do one of two things: you are either going to shut down, or you’ll start looking very hyper.
Reach Out to DTS for an Evaluation
If your child is struggling with their auditory processing, perhaps you’re noticing that they struggle to pay attention in noisy environments. Maybe they’re having difficulty in the classroom, maybe they’re saying, “Huh?” or “What?” a lot and asking you to repeat things.
At DTS, we have audiologists and speech-language pathologists who specialize in auditory processing. We are able to complete a comprehensive auditory processing evaluation, which allows us to objectively measure your child’s auditory processing skills and to create a plan for remediation to systematically improve that system.
Give us a call at (225) 767-5032 to schedule an auditory processing evaluation today.