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Expert Q&A
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| By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist | ||
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What is Central Auditory Processing Disorder?
Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is defined as "Difficulty in the ability to actively process auditory information rapidly, accurately and in sequence, even though the person has average intelligence and normal hearing sensitivity," say Kathleen Loftus West, M.A., CCC/A, pediatric audiologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Children's Hospital in Lexington, Mass., and Kristine E. Strand, Ed.D., CCC/SLP, speech-language pathologist in private practice in Boston, Mass.
Children who experience CAPD may listen to speech and have a hard time differentiating between words and background noises or may hear words as meaningless utterances. Often within the classroom, these children look confused, may provide the wrong answer or frequently need clarification.
The curriculum demands on children has changed over the years. By the time a child reaches third grade, he or she is required to rely less on visual cues and more on spoken information. It is around this grade level that many children are identified as having CAPD because they can't "keep up" academically with their peers.
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