Auditory Processing Disorders vs. Language ... - Onehealth.ca
Auditory Processing Disorders vs. Language ... - Onehealth.ca Auditory Processing Disorders vs. Language ... - Onehealth.ca
CENTRAL AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDERGeneral DefinitionAuditory processing disorder is a congenital as well as an acquiredcondition (for example; resulting from ear infections and headinjuries) which refers to difficulties in the processing of auditoryinformation within the central nervous system, such as problems with:"...sound localization and lateralization; auditory discrimination;auditory pattern recognition; temporal aspects of audition, includingtemporal integration, temporal discrimination (e.g., temporal gapdetection), temporal ordering, and temporal masking; auditoryperformance in competing acoustic signals (including dichotic listening);and auditory performance with degraded acoustic signals." (Quotefrom: (Central) Auditory Processing Disorders, Technical Report, Jan2005)This can manifest as problems determining the direction of sounds,difficulty perceiving differences between speech sounds and thesequencing of these sounds into meaningful words, confusing similarsounds such as "hat" with "bat", "there" with "where" etc. Fewer wordsmay be perceived than were actually said, as there can be problemsdetecting the gaps between words, creating the sense that someone isspeaking unfamiliar or nonsense words. There may also be problemsrelating what has been said with its meaning, despite obvious recognitionthat a word has been said. Separating speech sounds from backgroundnoise such as the sound of a radio or television can be difficult. In areassuch as a noisy classroom or gym, it can be difficult to impossible tounderstand speech, depending on the severity of the (auditoryprocessing) condition. For those with (C)APD, speaking on a telephone canbe a problem, due to low quality audio, poor signal, intermittent soundsand the chopping of words, in comparison with someone with normalauditory processing (hearing).It should be noted that memory issues are not longer part of thedefinition for this disorder.
Frequently Asked QuestionsIf I am interested in referring a student for an auditory processingassessment what is the process?Each office should have a referral package for (C)APD testing. This hasrecently been updated to streamline the process. Once the family andthe school have completed the forms and obtained a copy of the SLP anda psychological report, send the package to the Audiology Department atRichmond Road (fax – 403- 943-8501). Remember that the studentneeds to be at least 7 years of age. If the reports are older than 3years please contact Charlene Watson at (403)955-8515 to discussoptions.Can a school initiate this service?Sometimes a school or private psychologist will want a student referred.The school can also follow this same procedure and send the completedpackage directly to the Audiology Department. They will once again needto have all the referral pages filled out and will require a report fromboth the psychologist and the SLP. It should be mentioned that the SLPreport cannot be copied from the cumulative file. The family will need tocopy their personal report to attach or the Audiology Department willhave to request it internally.What tests do I need to administer as a Speech-LanguagePathologist?You are the professional and it is up to you to make the decision as towhat evaluation measures you require in order to determine the needs ofthe student. We have suggested some specific tests that can offer theAudiologist more information. These include a phonological awarenesstest (or even the sub-test from the CELP-4), an auditory discriminationtest and/or the Differential Screening Test for Auditory ProcessingDisorders. It should be mentioned that recently a couple of students
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CENTRAL AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDERGeneral Definition<strong>Auditory</strong> processing disorder is a congenital as well as an acquiredcondition (for example; resulting from ear infections and headinjuries) which refers to difficulties in the processing of auditoryinformation within the central nervous system, such as problems with:"...sound lo<strong>ca</strong>lization and lateralization; auditory discrimination;auditory pattern recognition; temporal aspects of audition, includingtemporal integration, temporal discrimination (e.g., temporal gapdetection), temporal ordering, and temporal masking; auditoryperformance in competing acoustic signals (including dichotic listening);and auditory performance with degraded acoustic signals." (Quotefrom: (Central) <strong>Auditory</strong> <strong>Processing</strong> <strong>Disorders</strong>, Techni<strong>ca</strong>l Report, Jan2005)This <strong>ca</strong>n manifest as problems determining the direction of sounds,difficulty perceiving differences between speech sounds and thesequencing of these sounds into meaningful words, confusing similarsounds such as "hat" with "bat", "there" with "where" etc. Fewer wordsmay be perceived than were actually said, as there <strong>ca</strong>n be problemsdetecting the gaps between words, creating the sense that someone isspeaking unfamiliar or nonsense words. There may also be problemsrelating what has been said with its meaning, despite obvious recognitionthat a word has been said. Separating speech sounds from backgroundnoise such as the sound of a radio or television <strong>ca</strong>n be difficult. In areassuch as a noisy classroom or gym, it <strong>ca</strong>n be difficult to impossible tounderstand speech, depending on the severity of the (auditoryprocessing) condition. For those with (C)APD, speaking on a telephone <strong>ca</strong>nbe a problem, due to low quality audio, poor signal, intermittent soundsand the chopping of words, in comparison with someone with normalauditory processing (hearing).It should be noted that memory issues are not longer part of thedefinition for this disorder.
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