What is "Auditory Processing?"
A central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) occurs when the ear and the brain do not coordinate fully. Assuming that the child's hearing is within normal limits (as verified by an audiologist), auditory information breaks down somewhere beyond the ear. Auditory processing has been described as how well the ear talks to the brain and how well the brain understands what the ear tells it. The causes of CAPD are varied and include: head trauma, lead poisoning, possibly chronic ear infections, and even unknown reasons. Because there are many different possibilities, even a combination of causes, each child needs to be assessed and treated on an individual basis.
Areas of difficulty related to CAPD include:
- figure-ground problems (paying attention when there is noise in the background)
- discrimination problems (difficulty hearing the difference between sounds or words that are similar)
- attention problems (maintaining focus for listening long enough to complete a task)
- cohesion problems (drawing inferences from conversations, comprehending verbal math problems, and understanding problems that require a heightened auditory processing and language level).
Memory problems may also be evident: the child may experience difficulty remembering things heard immediately or on a deferred basis.