Introduction
Is it Auditory Processing Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? This article will describe the symptoms associated with Auditory Processing Disorder and describe the similarities and differences between Auditory Processing Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
What Is Auditory Processing Disorder?
What is Auditory Processing Disorder? According to understood.org, the following information can be noted about Auditory Processing Disorder:
There are several kinds of auditory processing issues. The symptoms can range from mild to severe. Children with APD can have weaknesses in one, some or all of these areas:
- Auditory discrimination: The ability to notice, compare and distinguish between distinct and separate sounds. The words seventy and seventeen may sound alike, for instance.
- Auditory figure-ground discrimination: The ability to focus on the important sounds in a noisy setting. It would be like sitting at a party and not being able to hear the person next to you because there’s so much background chatter.
- Auditory memory: The ability to recall what you’ve heard, either immediately or when you need it later.
- Auditory sequencing: The ability to understand and recall the order of sounds and words. A child might say or write “ephelant” instead of “elephant,” or hear the number 357 but write 735.
What Is The Difference Between Auditory Processing Disorder And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
What is the difference between Auditory Processing Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? According to auditorycenter.com, the following differences exist between Auditory Processing Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:
Auditory Processing Disorder and ADHD are two distinct clinical conditions with different diagnostic criteria. However, studies suggest that 50% of children diagnosed with ADHD may also have APD. Children with ADHD tend to exhibit inattention, distractibility, and hyperactivity in any environment, whereas children with Auditory Processing Disorder usually don’t have difficulty focusing and paying attention in quiet environments. Children with ADHD also usually exhibit no clear pattern on auditory processing tests and inconsistencies in APD test performance, such as ear advantage (ear strength) changes on different dichotic tests (requiring the ears to compete against each other). Although there is some overlap in symptoms, individuals with Auditory Processing Disorder present primarily with complaints of poor listening skills and frequent requests for clarification, while individuals with ADHD present primarily with complaints of inattentiveness and/or hyperactivity.
Conclusion
To recap on this article, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Auditory Processing Disorder may appear similar on paper. However, they are quite different disorders in person.