CENTRAL AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER
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Do you or a loved one have trouble focusing on conversations in noisy environments? If so, there’s a chance you may be suffering from Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). CAPD is a glitch in the brain’s mechanisms where the central processing system in the brain interprets sounds incorrectly because it fails to screen out background noises. In turn, noises and words become garbled, and no matter how concentrated a person with CAPD is, the important sounds get lost in all the other noises, leading to confusion and frustration. Fortunately, our audiologists in Phoenix and Gilbert, AZ, offer cutting-edge treatments for Central Auditory Processing Disorder.
Common Signs of CAPD
A person with CAPD struggles with language processing, and this affects their ability to listen to and understand what’s being said. This can lead to difficulties in social, educational, and work environments. Common signs to look for are:
- Difficulty localizing sounds
- Inability to separate speech from distracting background sounds
- Running words together, or dropping sounds from words when speaking
- Trouble remembering information
- Poor reading comprehension
- Trouble understanding conversations over the phone
- Difficulty learning a foreign language
- Lack of ability to maintain focus
CAPD in Children
While we don’t know what causes CAPD in children, we do recognize the symptoms. It’s estimated that around 7% of children have CAPD and they have great difficulties communicating and learning both at home and at school.
Children with CAPD are often diagnosed with other learning or developmental disabilities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At school, they will struggle with listening, paying attention, reading, spelling, memorizing facts, and understanding and following directions. They are also easily distracted and need more time to process and understand information.
There are effective treatments available for children with CAPD, however. As children mature through adolescence, their brain remains high in plasticity, allowing for rapid development and growth in the brain. For those with CAPD, this means there’s a chance to develop normal hearing and comprehension. CAPD can be successfully treated through speech and language therapy, which will help to develop normal processing in the brain.
CAPD in Adults
CAPD can develop in adults as a result of traumatic brain injury, like a concussion, illness, exposure to different sounds, or changes in environment. For example, if a person who has always worked in quiet environments gets a job at a loud environment, such as a call center, they may acquire CAPD. Some adults can have CAPD and not even realize it, while others have noticeable difficulty understanding and remembering what’s been said, and often misinterpret situations. This leads to poor communication and can often strain relationships.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Proper diagnosis for CAPD includes a series of tests to determine speech comprehension in both quiet and noisy environments. Typical screening methods consist of a series of questions, observation of behaviors, and testing your ability to differentiate between speech and sound.
Treatment options include speech and language therapy to discriminate sounds more clearly, develop listening skills, and improve listening comprehension. Early intervention and treatment are critical to achieving the best outcome.
Watch the Video Below to Learn More About CAPD
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