I sometimes have problems comprehending what is being said

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Yeah, I know what you mean. I was thinking mostly of those situations when I wrote that post. It would happen a lot when I worked at a German immersion school - there was a German woman who would talk to me every time I walked past her, and because this was always outside while the kids were being released, there was a lot of noise going on, so I often had APD problems, and she would -always- switch right to English. Although I must give her some credit, as she would always start our conversations in German.

In the future, I might just go "huh? what?" when someone starts using English, just to drive the point across that I was having issues hearing them. (even though the issue was with my brain interpreting what it was hearing)

Could it be that you're distracted by other things, maybe your attention is drawn to the way the person talking to you is gesturing or giving non-verbal cues. I can find myself spring-boarding of words or other things while listening just as I can when reading text - something in the text reminds me of something else that I start thinking about while I continue to read with my eyes only! At the end of a paragraph I may just realise this and start reading it again but instantly slip back into the other train of though (repeat n times over). Has the same feel as the hearing thing to me.

Last edited by Radian on 16 Jul 2012, 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Doesn't usually happen to me in my native language, although it does once in a blue moon, especially when, after a long silence, somebody starts talking. I might hear them talk, but not make any sense of what they say for a short while.

It happens more when talking on the phone. And talking on the phone in another language triggers more of this.

Most often, I do have a slight delay in deciphering what people say. I've read this is typical for ADHD and it's due to wandering attention and inability to focus.

However, all of this is not severe enough and I manage to hide it by using compensatory techniques.

I have this same problem. A friend just explained it perfectly to me, as I couldn't put it into words - It's like someone speaking in The Sims language!
If you've never played The Sims, this is what they sound like http://youtu.be/RTvjFcRRvn0
(This is not actually what they're saying, it's just someone's funny interpretation)


Subtitles are always played wherever possible. I had to cancel my LOVEFiLM streaming subscription because they offer NO subtitles on any of their content, except foreign.

Even if I am focused and not distracted, this happens.

By the way, I had to edit my original post because it just didn't look right when I was reading it, so could you do me a favor Radian and edit my quote in your post so it looks like the updated version?

I sometimes have trouble with this while listening to music and singing or talking and trying to type something else, or trying to read and talk at the same time... Basically, anytime i try to process two different things like that, they either cancel each other out completely to where I understand nothing, or one will sorta become the other halfway thru so I'll get about half of each piece of info.

I definitely have this problem!!

Especially in louder places - I annoy mySELF at how often I have to ask someone to repeat themselves!

And people with accents may as well be speaking a foreign language to me. I have always had trouble with this, to the extent that I did much worse in French at school than I should have (could speak, read, write it very well, but when I heard it spoken I couldn't understand a single word!)
People with accents in a loud place - lol No hope there

Most of my family have trouble with this - in fact, it is what most of our humour was based around, growing up. We would laugh at the funny thing we thought someone said. It still makes me laugh lol

I watch movies with the subtitles on, otherwise I can't understand everything.

This happens to me every once in a while. Usually at work where there is a lot of background noise.
I can hear what they're saying, but it just doesn't make sense. Depending on the situation I'll say "what?" as if I didn't hear them. If they say something and walk away, I have to try and deduce what they said.