AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDERS

When the brain can’t hear…

Would you say that, despite having no hearing loss, your child doesn’t seem able to process the information he or she hears, in the same way as other children?

There’s a chance that your child has a Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Central Auditory Processing Disorder is a hearing problem that affects about 5% of school-aged children. In these cases, the child’s ears and brain don’t fully coordinate and so he or she can’t process what they hear in the same way others do. Something interferes with the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, especially speech.

Early diagnosis is important. If the condition isn’t caught and treated early, a child can have speech and language delays or problems learning in school. Audiologists are uniquely qualified in assessing and diagnosing Central Auditory Processing Disorders through a range of non-invasive tests. We work with a team of healthcare professionals (including ENTs, speech therapists, educational psychologists and OTs) to make sure that your child receives the right therapy as soon as possible.

Symptoms of Central Auditory Processing Disorders range from mild to severe and take many different forms. However, if the auditory deficits aren’t identified and managed early, children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder may have speech and language delays and experience significant academic problems.

Take a quick hearing quiz:

Difficulty hearing in noisy environments (e.g. the classroom)? YesNo
Difficulty following long conversations? YesNo
Difficulty hearing conversations on the telephone? YesNo
Difficulty learning a foreign language or challenging vocabulary words? YesNo
Difficulty remembering spoken information (i.e. auditory memory deficits)? YesNo
Difficulty taking notes? YesNo
Difficulty maintaining focus on an activity if other sounds are present? YesNo
Difficulty with organisational skills? YesNo
Difficulty following multi-step directions? YesNo
Difficulty in directing, sustaining, or dividing attention? YesNo
Difficulty with reading and/or spelling? YesNo
Difficulty processing nonverbal information (e.g. lack of music appreciation)? YesNo

MELROSE NORTH

Blubird Medical Suites
Blubird Shopping Mall Level 1
Cnr Atholl Oaklands & Cross Streets
Melrose North

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