


Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) Assessment

This clinic usually assesses children and teenagers who have been found to have normal hearing in a hearing test, but seem to struggle in real-world situations such as in background noise or when there is more than one person speaking.

The clinic involves the use of a questionnaire for parents to complete, and we perform hearing tests in different situations, for example, in the presence of noise or when different words are played in each ear.

We discuss the results and make suggestions for how best to help the child.  Advice may include how to hear best in certain situations (sitting away from noise sources), making sure anyone talking with the child (such as the child's teacher) is aware of their hearing difficulties, and we can give advice about how the child can learn to compensate for their difficulties. Sometimes a more structured approach is recommended (such as shared reading aloud or reading in noise).