Auditory processing disorders (APD) are deficits in the information processing of audible signals not attributed to impaired peripheral hearing sensitivity or intellectual impairment. This information processing involves perceptual, cognitive, and linguistic functions that, with appropriate interaction, result in effective receptive communication of auditory-presented stimuli. Specifically, APD refers to limitations in the ongoing transmission, analysis, organization, transformation, elaboration, storage, retrieval, and use of information contained in audible signals. APD may involve the following abilities:
- Maintaining auditory attention, discriminating between sounds, and identifying acoustic signals
- Transforming and continuously transmitting information through both the peripheral and central nervous systems
- Filtering, sorting, and combining information at appropriate perceptual and conceptual levels;
- Storing and retrieving information efficiently
- Segmenting and decoding acoustic stimuli using phonological, semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic knowledge
- Attaching meaning to a stream of acoustic signals through use of linguistic and nonlinguistic contexts.
Note: This information and more is available on the website for the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association: www.asha.org.