Auditory Processing Disorder, assistance

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nebrets
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17 Oct 2012, 4:20 pm

So I have an Auditory Processing Disorder, which seems to be a rather common co-morbid with AS. Some of this is my sensitivity to sounds, but some of it difficulty remembering spoken speech (as opposed to written), understanding speech when there is any background noise (which is a problem when I am outside or in a moderately crowded area), I cannot concentrate in an environment with much noise/or speech going on, and I have trouble differentiating between some word sounds such that I interpret the wrong letter combination for what I heard and then I say my words incorrectly (so I sound like I have a strange accent).

I have several coping mechanisms such as going to a quiet environment, asking people to repeat their words or write down what they are saying etc and relying on context to understand what is being said. However there are still times when it is almost impossible to understand what people are saying, for example 1. phone calls, and 2. in a noisy environment such as a gym or a busy street outside.

The psych I am seeing is wondering if one of the more modern hearing aids would help me by decreasing the noise-to-signal ratio, and amplifying the mid range frequencies where speech occurs. However I have had a hard time finding examples of this being used for people with APD (although it might be because most articles are about elementary aged children).

Does anyone have any more information, or suggestions?


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MrStewart
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17 Oct 2012, 5:08 pm

Interesting idea your psych has there. I suppose there's no harm in giving it a shot as long as it doesn't involve paying exorbitant amount of money on your part.

I also have some difficulty interpreting speech. Thought I was hearing impaired for a while. Had my hearing tested and all came back clear. The way I would describe it is that I sometimes have problems separating out individual syllables. They sort of mush together. I just ask people to repeat as many times as necessary. Sometimes I'll ask them to rephrase what they said and see if that helps.

Asking people to write what they said on paper could certainly help. I imagine it would be a good idea to have a notepad and pen on your person to facilitate this.