Causes and Treatment of Auditory Processing Disorders

Causes of APD

There are many possible causes of Auditory Processing Disorders.  Among them are:

- Extreme premature birth

- Auditory neuropathy

- Frequent ear infections

- Brain Trauma

However, a vast majority of APD cases have no identifiable cause.

  

Treatment of APD

There are two primary ways a clinical audiologist or speech-language pathologist can treat APD.

  

1.  Therapy

2.  Lifestyle Strategies

 

Therapy

Therapy for APD centers on the attempt to train the brain to distinguish sound (particularly speech) in the presence of background noise.  CDs and programs like LACE and Earobics have proven effective for helping APD sufferers train their brain to more clearly process speech when background noise is present.

  

Lifestyle Strategies

Working with an audiologist trained in the remediation of APD includes creating strategies to help the individual avoid or limit exposure to noisy environments.  Topics like where to sit in a restaurant to get optimal sound or how to arrange furniture to promote clearer communication in the home are addressed.

For more information on Auditory Processing Disorders, visit our website!