Auditory processing disorder (APD)
Overview
Auditory processing disorder (APD) is where you have difficulty understanding sounds, including spoken words. There are things you can do that can help.
Symptoms
Auditory processing disorder (APD) often starts in childhood, but some people develop it later. If you or your child have APD, you may find it difficult to understand: people speaking in noisy placespeople with strong accents or fast talkerssimilar sounding wordsspoken instructions APD is not a hearing problem. People with the condition usually have normal hearing.
Causes
It's not always clear what causes auditory processing disorder (APD). Possible causes include: regularear infectionsgeneticshead injurycomplications at birth APD is often found in people with attention, language and learning difficulties, such asdyslexiaandattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).