Auditory Processing:  a natural process of sound that is taken in through the ear and transmitted to the language area of the brain to be interpreted.

Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder is defined as reduced or impaired auditory processing ability to discriminate, recognize or comprehend auditory information.  The causes of Auditory Processing Disorder are unknown.  However, evidence suggests links to head trauma, lead poisoning and chronic ear infections.

Auditory processing difficulties in children may manifest as:

• inattention
• distractibility
• frequently asking “what” or “huh”
• mis-hearing words
• misunderstanding
• poor social interaction and the misinterpretation of social cues
• reading difficulty
• functioning lower than cognitive level
• difficulty understanding in the presence of background sounds
• language delay
• poor conceptual thought