Auditory Processing Disorder - Symptoms, causes and treatment

Auditory processing disorder is a condition when the brain cannot process the sound that is heard properly. As a result, sufferers of this condition often receive incorrect information.

Auditory processing disorder This can make it difficult for the sufferer to distinguish similar words. For example, when someone says "Please, share this box," the sufferer may hear "Please, give me this frog." However, this condition is not the same as deafness and learning disorders.

Auditory processing disorder It can happen to anyone, but it's more common in children, especially boys.

Causes of Auditory Processing Disorder

It is not known what causes auditory processing disorder. However, this condition is associated with the following diseases and conditions:

Glue ear or fluid buildup in the middle ear
Premature birth
Low birth weight
History of lead exposure and poisoning
genetic factors
Otitis media
Brain hemorrhage
Jaundice
Head injury
Multiple sclerosis
Brain tumor
Meningitis
stroke

Symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder

Symptom auditory processing disorder can vary in each patient, ranging from mild to severe. Some of the symptoms are:

Difficulty distinguishing words with similar sounds, such as a box with a frog
Difficulty understanding speech, especially when the atmosphere is busy, when other people are talking too fast, or when more than one person is talking
Difficulty concentrating or paying attention to speech, so it takes a long time to respond and often asks others to repeat what they are saying
Difficulty remembering spoken commands, especially if the command consists of several stages
Difficulty learning or enjoying music
Difficult to find sound source

When to go to the doctor

Check with your doctor if you or your child experience any of the above symptoms or signs. In school-age children, auditory processing disorder that are not detected and treated early can lead to learning disorders. Auditory processing disorder can also affect language and speaking skills.

Auditory processing disorder often associated with dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These three conditions sometimes look similar, but have fundamental differences.

To ensure the condition and determine the appropriate treatment, it is necessary to carry out a thorough examination.

Diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder

The doctor will ask about the patient's symptoms and medical history, followed by a physical examination. However, in contrast to hearing tests in general, tests for diagnosing auditory processing disorder more elaborate and specific, such as:

Test the patient's ability to hear sounds with different noise backgrounds
Test the patient's hearing ability when talking to fast-talking people
Test the patient's listening ability when speaking to people with different accents
Testing the patient's hearing ability in conditions with poor voice quality

In addition to the tests above, the doctor will also perform a hearing test using electrodes. This test is carried out by using headphones to the patient's ear and placing electrodes on the patient's head, to assess the patient's brain response to sound.

The doctor will also perform speech and language tests as well as a cognitive examination to assess the patient's mindset.

Auditory Processing Disorder Treatment

Auditory processing disorder cannot be treated. Even so, there are several treatment methods that can help improve the patient's hearing ability.

Especially in children, the hearing system is not fully formed until he grows up to be a teenager. So, a child with auditory processing disorder can train and develop listening skills with age.

Therapy for auditory processing disorder This can be done with the help of a doctor or independently at home. Some of these therapies are:

Hearing therapy, to train the patient's brain to analyze sound better, by doing exercises to detect sound sources and focus on listening to certain sounds when there is noise
Speech therapy, to improve children's ability to communicate and recognize sounds, and can also be done for people who have difficulty reading
Other therapies, such as exercises to remember things and solve problems

In addition to the therapy above, there are several things you can do to help improve your hearing, such as:

Choose a seat in the front row when the teacher teaches
Reduce or eliminate noise-producing sounds such as TVs, fans, or radios
Use frequency modulation, which is a loudspeaker that is connected to the patient's ear

For the patient's family or colleagues, there are several things you can do to help practice the patient's listening skills, namely:

Avoid speaking quickly, unclearly, or at length to the patient
Speaks word for word very clearly, so that the patient understands the sentence conveyed
Use pictures to help patients understand what they are trying to convey
Emphasize the message or command to be conveyed to the patient
Repeating information until the patient understands the meaning of the conversation

ComplicationsAuditory Processing Disorder

Auditory processing disorder does not cause serious complications. However, if it is too late to receive treatment, this condition can cause learning disorders. Children who suffer from this condition can live normal lives and achieve achievements like other children, as long as the environment around them supports the process of developing their hearing ability.

Prevention of Auditory Processing Disorder

As explained above, it is not known what causes auditory processing disorder. Therefore, it is not yet known how to prevent this disease.

However, you can reduce the risk of this happening auditory processing disorder by avoiding the preventable factors associated with this disease. For example, avoiding middle ear infection or otitis media by: