Auditory Processing Disorder or Central

Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)

• Auditory Processing Disorder(APD) is the reduced or impaired ability to
discriminate, recognize or comprehend complex sounds, such as those used in
words, even though the person’s hearing is normal.

• GENERAL SYMPTOMS : Having trouble paying attention to and remembering

information presented orally, and may cope up better with visually acquired
information. Need more time to process things. Have low academic
performances. Have difficulty with reading, comprehension, spelling and
vocabulary.
• Central auditory processing disorder in adults : Poor ability to memorize
information given orally, difficulty following multi task directions, disorganized
and forgetful.
• PREVALENCE: According to the National Institute of health, in children
with learning disabilities the prevalence of auditory processing
disorder has been found to be 43%.
• CAUSES: No definite causes known. Research suggest that it can be
congenital. Can be acquired by head injury or trauma.
• COMORBIDITY : There is a high rate of co-occurrence between ADHD
(Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and CAPD. (Dimaggio and
Geffner, 2003). Their research showed that 84% of children with CAPD
has confirmed or suspected ADHD.
• DIAGNOSIS : To diagnose APD, the audiologist will administer a series
of tests in a sound treated room, where listeners are to attended a
variety of signals and respond to them, once diagnosis is made, the
nature of the disorder is determined.

• TREATMENT : No scientifically based treatments. Non medical ways

include speech therapy, auditory training therapy ; includes programs
like the Berard Auditory Integration Training Services and Fast
ForWord.
DYSCALCULIA
• Dyscalculia is an alternative term used to refer pattern of difficulties
characterized by problems processing numerical information, learning
arithmetic facts and performing fluent calculations.
• GENERAL SYMPTOMS : Inconsistent results in basics of maths.
Difficulty stating which of two numbers is larger. Poor memory of
math concepts. Difficulty reading analog clocks.
• PREVALANCE : Dyscalculia is estimated to affect 3-6% of the
population. Boys and Girls show equal susceptibility.
• CAUSES : Genetic and hereditary causes may develop dyscalculia.
Environmental factors include pre mature birth of baby and low birth weight.
Brain injuries may result into acquired dyscalculia.
• COMORBIDITY : Dyscalculia exhibits an exceedingly high comorbidity with
ADHD : 15-26%.
• DIAGNOSIS : Diagnosis is done through the administration of a standardised
test such as WIAT- II (Wechsler’s Individual Achievement Test Second Edition).
• TREATMENT : No medications to treat dyscalculia but medications may help to
deal with co-occurring issues such as ADHD or anxiety. Educational therapy
and speech therapy to articulate the language of math could be helpful.
DYSGRAPHIA
• Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It
manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and
trouble putting thoughts on paper.
• GENERAL SYMPTOMS : Tight pencil grip while writing, avoid writing or
drawing tasks, unfinished or omitted words in sentences, difficulty
organizing thoughts on paper.
• PREVALENCE : Dysgraphia is estimated to be in 5-20% students
worldwide.
• CAUSES : Poor motor skills, faulty visual perception of letters, difficulty
in retaining visual impressions, multiple mental images, In adults it
can also result due to brain injury.
• COMORBIDITY : Comorbid to speech impairment, Attention Deficit
Disorder or Developmental coordination disorder.
• DIAGNOSIS : Wadeson Street Criteria is used for diagnosis where free
writing sample is more than 25% illegible is considered as dysgraphic.
• TREATMENT : Occupational therapy is effective. Conscious and
appropriate effort and training helps partially to overcome
dysgraphia.
DYSLEXIA
• Dyslexia also known as reading disorder is characterized by trouble
with reading despite normal intelligence.
• GENERAL SYMPTOMS : Delayed speech in a child, difficulty
memorizing, difficulty in spelling, delayed reading ability or speech
impairment.
• PREVALANCE : According to International Dyslexia Association it is
estimated that 15-20% of the general population experiences one or
more symptoms of dyslexia.
• CAUSES : Hereditary, neurological, hearing problems at an early age
and brain injury.
• COMORBIDITY : Exhibits high comorbidity to Specific Speech
Disorder, Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, ADHD and anxiety.
• DIAGNOSIS : Diagnosis of dyslexia begins with gathering of
information gained from interviews, observations and tests.
• TREATMENT : Treating with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy won’t
directly help dyslexia but can bring improvement. Specific approaches
and techniques can be helpful.
Aphasia and Dysphasia
• Aphasia and dysphasia : A disorder that has loss of someone’s ability
to speak or understand what someone else is talking, Dysphasia is
moderate disruption of speech.
• GENERAL SYMPTOMS : Inability to comprehend language, inability to
pronounce, speak spontaneously, agrammatism, speech disorder.
• PREVALENCE : 15% of individuals under the age of 65 experience
aphasia; this prevalence increases to 43% after 85 years old (Engelter
et al, 2006).
• CAUSES : Traumatic brain injury, brain tumours, stroke. Stroke is the
most common cause of aphasia. According to the National Aphasia
Association, 25% - 40% of people who survive stroke get aphasia.
• DIAGNOSIS : Individuals undergo MRI OR CT scan to confirm the
presence of brain injury, if physician suspects aphasia, the patient is
referred to a speech-language pathologist who performs
comprehensive examination.
• TREATMENT : Speech and language therapy is recommended
treatment, using alternative methods to talking like using gestures,
writing or drawing.
 VISUAL PROCESSING DISORDER
• Visual processing disorder refers to hindered ability to make sense of
information taken by eyes. This is different from problems involving
sight but deals with how visual information is interpreted by the
brain.
• GENERAL SYMPTOMS : Frequent word or line skip, tendency to move
their whole head instead of their eyes, letter and symbol reversal
problem.
• PREVALENCE : 15-20% range of students have diagnosed with Visual
Processing Disorder worldwide.
• CAUSES : Unknown of exact causes. Low birth weight and mild
traumatic brain injury play a role in visual processing disorder.
• DIAGNOSIS : Patient is sent to an ophthalmologist to check vision, and
then to an optometrist to correct vision, if still issues exists the
patient is referred to a neuropsychologist who may perform a series
of test to diagnose Visual Processing Disorder.
• TREATMENT : Visual processing speed and accuracy to maintain and
develop speed to process information, healthy visual processing to
help to learn to visualize.