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An auditory processing disorder is a condition that affects an individual’s ability to process and comprehend auditory information, making it difficult to get through work and school tasks. It cannot be attributed to impaired hearing sensitivity or intellectual deficits. Due to the nature of auditory processing deficits and their coexistence with other disorders, there are often several other issues that need to be addressed. For example, they are comorbid with language delays and attention deficit disorders. (1) For this reason, treatment often requires an integrated approach. If you or your child struggles with these issues, it is important to know that there is a solution.
At NeuroZone, our staff strives to provide the highest quality care that is sensitive to every client’s unique cognitive needs. Our practice is led by experienced speech-language pathologist Erin Badour, who offers comprehensive treatment plans with the diagnostic guidance provided by qEEG brain mapping, a technology that noninvasively measures clients’ brain waves. Conducting the right auditory processing assessments helps Erin tailor the right protocol and identify specific challenges and solutions.
To find out if one of NeuroZone’s programs is right for you, get in touch online or call one of our office locations:
Auditory processing disorders (APDs) affect about 0.5% to 1% of the general population, impacting these individuals’ day-to-day lives in significant ways that many take for granted. (2) People with an APD can struggle to understand verbal directions, become distracted by loud noises and background noise, and sometimes, find it challenging to comprehend the flow of basic conversation. Their actual ability to hear is not affected, but areas of the brain that interpret sound are impaired. There are four main profiles of APDs, but not everyone with an APD falls neatly into just one of these profiles:
Decoding Deficit
Those with decoding deficits have trouble with phonemic awareness and skills, the ability to understand and convey individual sounds to form spoken words. These individuals often struggle to read aloud, spell, articulate, and understand verbal directions.
Tolerance-Fading Memory Deficit
People with this deficit can appear as though they are ignoring people, and they can struggle to distinguish language and other sounds from the surrounding background noise. They often have characteristics of ADHD and difficulties with short-term memory skills.
Integration Deficit
These individuals have challenges with the visual aspect of language and often have severe reading and writing deficits. Phonetic skills, handwriting, and word-finding skills are all challenging for these individuals.
Organization Deficit
This profile is characterized by poor organizational skills and difficulties with task planning and completion (executive functioning). They have disorganized sequencing when it comes to oral and written language, so their communication can appear illogical or out-of-order.
Common Signs and Symptoms of an APD
Individuals with auditory processing deficits typically have normal intelligence scores. Sometimes, APDs do not affect language skills but only sound interpretation/processing. The deficits and disorders are varied, but some common characteristics of an APD include:
Normal, functional hearing
Difficulty following spoken directions
Difficulty understanding in the presence of background noise
Difficulty paying attention
Difficulty learning through the auditory modality
Frequently saying “Huh?” or “What?”
Frequent misinterpretation of what is said to them
Trouble locating sounds
Giving the impression of not listening even when looking at the speaker
Slow or delayed responses to verbal stimuli
Poor auditory memory
Poor tolerance for loud noises or noisy environments
History of otitis media, a type of ear infection
Inattentiveness
Hyperactivity
Distractibility
Academic challenges
Comorbidities of APDs
Comorbidities are conditions that frequently show up together. There are several that may occur, but it can be difficult to distinguish these conditions from an APD. The most common comorbidities include:
During your consultation with Erin, she will implement a diagnostic assessment to identify what your deficits are. She may ask you about the challenges you have faced in your daily life and the outcome you would like to achieve with her approaches. She may review your brain activity using qEEG brain mapping, evaluating the affected areas of the brain. After using the proper diagnostic tools and assessments, she will discuss with you her recommendations for treatment with specialized protocols that include training and tasks, helping your processing skills over time with each session at NeuroZone. As a speech and language pathologist, this is Erin’s specialty that she understands to a great extent.
If you are interested in Erin’s innovative, drug-free approaches at NeuroZone, call one of the numbers below or inquire with our contact form. Erin and her team are available to answer your questions and assist you in scheduling your first appointment.
Auditory training techniques are designed to help improve your communication skills and teach the brain to filter out unnecessary sounds and process the important information. Environmental changes are exceptionally helpful in allowing the brain to maximize its auditory abilities. Incorporating visual cues into your learning can also reinforce auditory memory. Some strategies that Erin can discuss with you during your consultation include
Use of auditory trainers for sound field amplification
Auditory-visual training
Speech perception training
Noise tolerance training
Analytic non-speech tasks
Analytic speech tasks
Synthetic speech tasks
Auditory cohesion training
Pragmatic training with speech and non-speech tasks
Auditory integration training
Auditory memory training
Dichotic listening training
Training for temporal patterning
Auditory discrimination training
Auditory synthesis training
Auditory closure training
Auditory figure-ground tasks
Auditory binaural integration
Erin can conduct many other treatment protocols that target comorbid problems as well as auditory processing delays. These may include a combination of the following:
Speech and Language Intervention
Clients with APD can benefit from some of the same speech and language intervention programs that benefit people with aphasia, cognitive-linguistic disorders, dyslexia, and other communication disorders. Erin has a range of programs to avoid creating a one-size-fits-all method. For APD, consult Erin about the Fast ForWord Program, iLs program, and Lindamood Bell Program designed to improve auditory comprehension. Other programs such as Language Links Syntax Assessment and Intervention Series, Simple Sentence Structure, and Question Quest all address syntax and sequencing issues.
Memory Training
At NeuroZone, we recommend Cogmed programs for memory training to expand working memory, or the ability to remember information temporarily. Erin prescribes Cogmed JM for preschoolers, Cogmed RM for school-aged children, and Cogmed QM for adults.
Executive Function Training
Executive functioning mostly refers to decision-making and planning skills. Without this form of organization, life can become hectic and overwhelming. At Neurozone, our executive functioning training program is designed by Cogmed to help clients learn these self-management skills. Erin may implement neurofeedback to assess and treat the affected areas of the brain.
Attention Training
Erin may assess the attention system to determine arousal levels, the level of activity that determines brain overactivity or under-activity. Behavioral issues, hyperactivity, and problems with sustaining and controlling attention can manifest from low arousal levels. With Cogmed, attention training is focused on balancing arousal with auditory and visual memory tasks, giving the brain the ability to learn more effectively.
Reading and Writing Skills Intervention
For these complex issues, NeuroZone has several programs to suit many types of disorders related to these language skills. Cogmed, Fast ForWord Programs, the Reading Readiness Program, and the Reading Assistant Program can all work as reading and writing skills interventions.
Sensory Integration Intervention
Sensory processing deficits most often show up as sensitivities to sensory input, resulting in poor motor coordination and issues with emotional regulation. NeuroZone’s sensory integration intervention involves a comprehensive approach with the iLs program, balancing multiple areas of sensory processing with elements of exercise, language, and music.
Neurofeedback
The areas of the brain that contribute to auditory processing skills, both the primary and secondary auditory processing regions, are represented in the brain map / qEEG assessment. If an auditory processing disorder or delay is present these areas in the brain will show disturbances. Combining the results of the brain map with other performance measures can provide relevant information about the possible origins of auditory processing delays. Treatment will then include a combination of neurofeedback training to address the brain centers involved in the auditory processing delay as well as other previously mentioned treatment approaches for auditory processing.
Cost of Auditory Processing Disorder Treatment in Los Angeles
The cost of your treatment at NeuroZone will depend on the type of deficit and disorder you have and the results you expect from your treatment. Erin can custom-tailor a treatment that includes one or more training programs and neurofeedback analysis to monitor your progress. After briefly evaluating the extent of your signs and symptoms, Erin will give you a total cost estimate during your consultation.
To get started with high-quality care that makes long-lasting changes and improvements to your processing abilities, we invite you to schedule a consultation at the practice location closest to you. You can inquire about our services online, or call one of the following numbers:
We look forward to helping you find the incredible results you are looking for with the insight and guidance of neurofeedback.
References
Gokula R, Sharma M, Cupples L, Valderrama JT. Comorbidity of Auditory Processing, Attention, and Memory in Children With Word Reading Difficulties. Frontiers in Psychology. 2019;10. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02383
Agrawal D, Dritsakis G, Mahon M, Mountjoy A, Bamiou DE. Experiences of Patients With Auditory Processing Disorder in Getting Support in Health, Education, and Work Settings: Findings From an Online Survey. Frontiers in Neurology. 2021;12. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2021.607907
Ocak E, Eshraghi RS, Danesh A, Mittal R, Eshraghi AA. Central Auditory Processing Disorders in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Balkan Medical Journal. 2018;35(5):367-372. doi:https://doi.org/10.4274/balkanmedj.2018.0853
WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK?
Neurofeedback training is brainwave biofeedback where the brain’s electrical activity is related to a computer through electrodes that are placed at various locations on the scalp and earlobes.
