What?

Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), often referred to as Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), is a hearing disorder in which the brain has difficulty processing the information contained in sound. This is not due to hearing impairment but rather to how the brain interprets, organises, or analyses auditory signals.

Difficulties and Challenges as an Adult:

Adults with CAPD may face challenges in environments where sound plays a key role. These can include:

Difficulty following conversations, especially in noisy settings.
Problems understanding speech over the phone or in group discussions.
Misunderstanding spoken directions or needing them repeated.
The feeling of being overwhelmed by loud or sustained noise.
Social withdrawal, due to difficulties interacting in typical auditory environments.

Symptoms Observed in Different Age Groups:

Toddlers: Parents might notice delayed speech development, frequent misunderstanding of questions or commands, or difficulties learning songs or nursery rhymes.
Young Children: Difficulties following verbal instructions, problems with reading and spelling, and being easily distracted by background noises are common.
Teenagers: Challenges become more evident in complex social settings and in managing higher educational demands. Teens might show frustration with school, social withdrawal, or heightened sensitivity to sound.

Having Both CAPD and Dyslexia:

For someone with both CAPD and dyslexia, like myself, the challenges can compound. Symptoms may present as:

Severe difficulties in phonetic decoding of words due to impaired auditory processing coupled with dyslexia’s effect on reading skills.
Extended time is needed to process and understand spoken and written language.
Increased academic challenges, especially in language-heavy subjects.

Managing Life with Both Disorders:

Despite these challenges, life with both CAPD and dyslexia can be managed effectively. Strategies might include:

Use of assistive technologies such as audiobooks, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech software.
Seeking environments with minimal auditory distractions for work and learning.
Employing visual aids to complement auditory information.

In conclusion, while having both CAPD and dyslexia can present significant challenges, it is essential to remember that with the right strategies and support, one can lead a successful and fulfilling life. As someone who navigates through these challenges daily, I find that being flexible, embracing assistive technologies, and maintaining a positive outlook is key. It’s all about going with the flow and accepting that “it is what it is.” Right now, there are so many tools to communicate and to help communicate, or we can stick to the tried and true method of closed captioning. Protip* Closed captioning is also used in cartoons; seeing the words over and over is crucial to memorization, significantly if the working memory is impaired, in addition to learning the skill of lip reading. The world is noisy, and sometimes we must hear the instructions the first time (the world can be an unforgiving place).

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