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What is Auditory Processing Disorder? The symptoms, diagnosis, causes, treatments, and things you can do to help

Kimberley Bradshaw - Head of Online Medical Content for Hearing Aid UK
Written By:
Kimberley Bradshaw

Head of Online Medical Content

Paul Harrison - Audiology Expert at Hearing Aid UK
Medically Reviewed By:
Paul Harrison

Audiology Expert at Hearing Aid UK

Updated and medically reviewed: 1st December 2024
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

What is Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)?

The symptoms, diagnosis, causes, treatments, and things you can do to help

 

Overview     |    What is it?    |    Do I have it?    |    Causes and testing    |    Treatments    |    Conclusion

 

Overview

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a condition that affects how the brain processes auditory information, despite normal hearing abilities. Those with APD often struggle to understand spoken language, especially in noisy environments or when following complex instructions.

Common symptoms include difficulty distinguishing similar sounds, frequent requests for repetition, and challenges with reading and spelling.  The causes of APD can vary and may include neurodevelopmental factors or a history of ear infections.

Diagnosis typically involves specialised testing by audiologists or speech-language pathologists.

While there is no cure, various interventions such as speech therapy, environmental modifications, and assistive technologies can help manage their symptoms.  Early diagnosis and tailored support are important for improving communication skills and overall functioning.

 

What is auditory processing disorder (APD)?

To summarise, auditory processing disorder (APD) is when you have difficulty understanding sounds as well as spoken words.  Even though APD is not considered a hearing problem, there are things you can implement that can help. 

It is a form of hearing loss, although unlike the other main three kinds (sensorineural, conductive mixed), there is no other form of hearing loss present, the ears are fully capable of receiving sound, but the brain has problems processing and understanding it.

While there's no cure for APD, treatments such as auditory training and strategies to reduce background noise can help manage symptoms.  In this article, we take a brief look into the symptoms, diagnosis, causes, treatments, and things you can do to help minimise the condition.

 

How do you know if you have an auditory processing disorder? 

Auditory processing disorder (APD) typically begins in childhood, though it can also develop later in life.  APD is also commonly found in people with attention, language and learning difficulties, like dyslexia.  If you have APD, your local GP may refer you to a hearing specialist for further tests and treatments. 

Those with APD usually struggle to comprehend the following:

  • Conversations in noisy environments
  • People with strong accents or those who speak quickly
  • Words that sound alike
  • Verbal instructions

 

What are the causes and how do you test auditory processing disorder? 

The exact cause of auditory processing disorder (APD) is not known.  However, potential causes may include frequent ear infections, genetics, head injuries or birth complications.  To diagnose auditory processing disorder (APD), you or your child may be asked to:

  • Listen to speech with background noise
  • Detect subtle changes in sounds
  • Complete words with missing parts

Additional tests might include:

  • Using electrodes on your head to monitor how your brain responds to sound
  • Speech and language assessments
  • Evaluations of memory, problem-solving, and concentration skills

 

Auditory processing disorder treatments and what can help

While there's no cure for auditory processing disorder (APD), there are strategies that can help manage it.  Treatment usually includes auditory training, which consists of exercises designed to enhance listening and concentration. This training can be done with a hearing specialist or independently online.

There are things that you and your friends and family can do to help your auditory processing disorder (APD) such as:

  • Communicate face-to-face
  • Incorporate pictures and text
  • Repeat or rephrase if needed
  • Use carpets and soft furnishings to minimise room noise

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What is Auditory Processing Disorder?

Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a neurological condition where the brain struggles to process and interpret sounds accurately, despite normal hearing.

People with APD often find it difficult to understand speech in noisy environments, distinguish similar-sounding words, or follow verbal instructions.  The condition typically begins in childhood, though it can develop later.

If you have seen your local GP and now need a referral to an audiologist, we can help support you in your area.  You can also tap into APD SUPPORT UK's resources by visiting https://apdsupportuk.wixsite.com/apd-support-uk

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Meet Paul Harrison, Audiology Expert at Hearing Aid UK

Paul Harrison is an audiology expert at Hearing Aid UK, with over 20 years of audiology experience and a member of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists Council (BSHAA) between 2015 - 2020.

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Common FAQs about hearing aids and hearing loss

Is this the best hearing aid model for me?

If you are looking at this page then it is likely that an audiologist has suggested that you purchase this particular hearing aid, so is this the best model for you?

In general, any audiologist will always be recommending to you the model that best suits your needs. Here is a useful checklist to make sure that is the case.

  • Audiologist level of knowledge: The audiologist you have seen will hopefully have a wide knowledge of all available hearing aids, however, some will only be familiar with a small number of brands and therefore may not really be in a position to know which model is the best for you. It is OK to challenge their recommendation and ask them to justify why this particular brand is the one for you.
  • Do research: Read about the hearing aid that was recommended. Does it seem like it will suit your lifestyle? Does it have more or less features than you need? 
  • Be aware of sales targets: Many high street retailers have specific tie-ins to a particular manufacturer/brand. The hearing aid they have suggested may still be the correct one for you, but do your research so that you know why they might have recommended it.

If in doubt, feel free to give us a call. That's what we're here for.  In the meantime, read all about our review of the best hearing aids here

Do I need one hearing aid or two?

If you have significant hearing loss in both ears, you should be wearing two hearing aids. Here are the audiological reasons why:

Localisation: The brain decodes information from both ears and compares and contrasts them. By analysing the minuscule time delays as well as the difference in the loudness of each sound reaching the ears, the person is able to accurately locate a sound source. Simply put, if you have better hearing on one side than the other, you can't accurately tell what direction sounds are coming from.

Less amplification is required: A phenomenon known as “binaural summation” means that the hearing aids can be set at a lower and more natural volume setting than if you wore only one hearing aid.

Head shadow effect: High frequencies, the part of your hearing that gives clarity and meaning to speech sounds, cannot bend around your head. Only low frequencies can. Therefore if someone is talking on your unaided side you are likely to hear that they are speaking, but be unable to tell what they have said.

Noise reduction: The brain has its own built-in noise reduction which is only really effective when it is receiving information from both ears. If only one ear is aided, even with the best hearing aid in the world, it will be difficult for you to hear in background noise as your brain is trying to retain all of the sounds (including background noise) rather than filtering it out.

Sound quality: We are designed to hear in stereo. Only hearing from one side sounds a lot less natural to us.

Fancy some further reading on this topic?  You can read about why two hearing aids are better than one in our article, hearing aids for both ears, here

What are the benefits of rechargeable hearing aids?

For most people, the main benefit of a rechargeable hearing aid is simple convenience. We are used to plugging in our phones and other devices overnight for them to charge up.  Here are some other pros and cons:

For anybody with poor dexterity or issues with their fingers, having a rechargeable aid makes a huge difference as normal hearing aid batteries are quite small and some people find them fiddly to change.

One downside is that if you forget to charge your hearing aid, then it is a problem that can't be instantly fixed. For most a 30-minute charge will get you at least two or three hours of hearing, but if you are the type of person who is likely to forget to plug them in regularly then you're probably better off with standard batteries.

Rechargeable aids are also a little bit bigger and are only available in Behind the Ear models.

Finally, just like with a mobile phone, the amount of charge you get on day one is not going to be the same as you get a few years down the line. Be sure to ask what the policy is with the manufacturer warranty when it comes to replacing the battery.

Looking for more information on rechargeable hearing aids?  Read our dedicated page on the topic here

Are behind the ear aids better than in the ear aids?

For most people, the answer is yes. But it's never that simple.

The majority of hearing problems affect the high frequencies a lot more than the low ones. Therefore open fitting hearing aids sound a lot more natural and ones that block your ears up can make your own voice sound like you are talking with your head in a bucket. Therefore in-ear aids tend to be less natural.

However the true answer is we can't tell until we have had a look in your ears to assess the size of your ear canal, and until we have tested your hearing to see which frequencies are being affected.

People with wider ear canals tend to have more flexibility, also there are open fitting modular CIC hearing aids now that do not block your ears.

There is also the age old rule to consider, that a hearing aid will not help you if it's sat in the drawer gathering dust. If the only hearing aid you would be happy wearing is one that people can't see, then that's what you should get.

Most people can adapt to any type of hearing aid, as long as they know what to expect. Have an honest conversation with your audiologist as to what your needs are.

What are channels, and how many do I need?

Generally speaking, six or more. Unless it's none at all.

The number of channels a hearing aid has is often a simplistic way an audiologist will use to explain why one hearing aid is better than another, but channels are complex and it is really not that straightforward.  Here are some reasons why:

Hearing aids amplify sounds of different frequencies by different amounts. Most people have lost more high frequencies than low and therefore need more amplification in the high frequencies. The range of sounds you hear are split into frequency bands or channels and the hearing aids are set to provide the right amount of hearing at each frequency level.

Less than six channels and this cannot be done with much accuracy, so six is the magic number. However, a six channel aid is typically very basic with few other features and is suitable only for hearing a single speaker in a quiet room. The number of channels is not what you should be looking at, it's more the rest of the technology that comes with them.

As a final note, different manufacturers have different approaches. One method is not necessarily better than any other. For example, some manufacturers have as many as 64 channels in their top aids. Most tend to have between 17 and 20. One manufacturer has no channels at all.

Where can I get the hearing aids covered?

Hearing aids are easily lost, misplaced or damaged and typically are one of the most expensive personal possessions an individual can own. We offer hearing aid warranty coverage for £80 per year per aid.  Find out more about this service we provide here

How much does the hearing test cost?

All our audiologists use the very latest technology and provide the full range of tests to accurately measure your hearing for free.  Find out about what hearing healthcare services we offer all our customers here

Do home visits cost extra?

Hearing Aid UK offers all their customers free home visiting services, even in a care home environment, for no extra cost. Including hearing tests, fittings, maintenance, check-ups and much more in the comfort of your own home and at your convenience.  Find out more information about our home visits here

How come you're much cheaper than other places?

Here, at Hearing Aid UK, we are dedicated to offering low hearing aid prices. We achieve this by having no head office and low marketing costs.   Our hearing aid prices are amongst the lowest you will find anywhere in the world.  Explore our prices, brands, and models here

Other pages you might find useful

Audiology Home Visits
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Best Hearing Aids 2025
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Hearing Tests at Home UK
View Hearing Tests at Home UK
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