What Is Auditory Processing Disorder – An Overview

The condition is known as “auditory processing disorder” isn’t something that is widely understood by the layperson, but it is considered to be an umbrella term that covers a variety of different disorders that affect how your brain processes auditory information.

In this guide, we’re going to go into more detail regarding this condition, as well as explain some of the most common symptoms as well as the most useful treatments.

What is auditory processing disorder?

First of all, auditory processing disorder is a term given to several conditions that affect a person’s ability to understand and process audio information, particularly when it comes to understanding speech.

While the condition isn’t fully understood, there have been links drawn between head trauma, premature birth, and ear infections each of which has caused specific cases of auditory processing disorder to occur.

The condition is often first noticed in children, and it is often noticed when a child first begins to have difficulty discerning the words people say in conversation.

What are the symptoms?

In most cases, the primary symptom is the difficulty in understanding speech, particularly in noisy environments. However, it can also affect a person’s ability to distinguish different types of sound, especially if they are quite similar in nature.

The condition also results in learning disability for some individuals, and it can also manifest itself as an overall sensitivity to sound.

What are the treatments?

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for the condition itself, although there are a variety of ways to treat the symptoms, which can allow the sufferer to continue with their life with as minimal interference as possible.

Perhaps the most common solution is to use a listening device that can help to enhance your natural sense of hearing. What’s more, working with a therapist can help a person get to grips with understanding speech, and specialists in speech therapy are some of the best people to turn to if the processing disorder is specifically related to speech.

Hearing aids are also commonly used by people who are suffering from an auditory processing disorder, and this can greatly help when it comes to interpreting the sounds in your environment as well as improving your recognition of speech.


In summary, auditory processing disorders can be a difficult issue to overcome, but there are a number of treatments that can truly improve a patient’s ability to overcome the many challenges that this condition presents to a person’s life.