Signs and Symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

• Delayed or no response to oral instructions or questions OR a routine response such as “Yes” to everything that is said to them
• Unusual sensitivity to or complaints about noise
• Difficulty in telling direction from which parent is calling them
• Talks loudly
• Likes the television volume to be louder than normal
• Tendency to confuse similar sounding words
• Confuses or forgets multiple directions if given in one sentence
• Frequently misunderstands oral instruction or questions or asks a lot of extra informational questions
• Says “Huh?” or “What?” frequently
• Frequently needs repetition or clarification of information
• Has difficulty understanding what is said to them with background noise
• Is uncomfortable in places with a lot of noise or poor acoustics
• Has poor auditory attention
• Is over talkative
• Is easily distracted, has a short attention span, seems to day dream a lot
• May have problems with phonics or discriminating speech sounds
• Difficulty perceiving high frequency sounds, e.g. t, f, s, k, p, th, sh
• May have poor expressive or receptive language
• May have spelling, reading and other academic problems
• Abstract information may be difficult to follow
• Auditory maths tuition and mental maths problems may cause difficulty
• May have reduced auditory memory
• May have behaviour problems
• Behaviour and performance may improve in quieter settings
• May have delayed language development
• Difficulty sequencing the sounds of words
• Inconsistent responses to the same auditory stimuli
• Difficulty expressing desires, often blaming others for not understanding
• May be disorganised and forgetful
• May find it difficult to follow and take part in conversations
• Difficulty organising and integrating thoughts
• Easily fatigued
• Can’t sit still
• Takes a long time to complete class work or homework
• Low confidence and/or self esteem