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The Truth Behind Auditory Processing Disorder

 

In recent years, the term Auditory Processing Disorder has gained public awareness, which has led to increased misinformation, often incorrect diagnoses, and general confusion. Let’s start fresh and get to the truth behind Auditory Processing Disorder.

What is APD? 

Auditory processing disorder (APD) in broad terms is how the central nervous system uses auditory information. It is not related to a hearing loss or not being able to hear what is being said. APD is not caused by a cognitive, language, or related disorder.
Children with APD typically struggle to process and make meaning of sounds. This is especially true when there are background noises. In a child with APD, the brain doesn’t recognize and interpret sounds correctly—including speech sounds. It’s like there’s a disconnect somewhere between the ears and the brain. He or she can hear what you say, but can’t always process/understand it.
 

What are the signs and symptoms?

There are many different characteristics of someone who is diagnosed with auditory processing disorder. These can range from mild to severe and may look different in every child. An audiologist is a specialist who can diagnose this disorder. Some symptoms of this disorder include:
-struggling to hear in crowded, noisy places
-frequently asking for things to be repeated
-appearing to be inattentive or may be easily distracted
-difficulty following directions
-noticeable speech delays
-difficulty with reading, spelling, and understanding information presented verbally in the classroom

How is APD diagnosed?

APD can only be diagnosed by an Audiologist. APD cannot be determined from a checklist of signs/symptoms because every child with this diagnosis will look different. There are also different types of processing disorders, and the audiologist will be able to determine the specific type of disorder that a child has. This is important when determining what strategies will help the child. An audiologist will perform a variety of auditory tests in a sound-treated room. Most of the tests of APD require that a child be at least 7 or 8 years of age because the variability in brain function is so great in younger children that test results may not be possible or accurate.
Jeannine Abel M.A., CCC-SLP

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Patient Reviews

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Patient Reviews

Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

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My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

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My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

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My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

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I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

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We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

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They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

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We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
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