Central Auditory Processing Assessments
Hearing involves more than our ears. Think of the ears as a door which allows sound in. So if your ears are the door, auditory processing is the interpretation of that information – what the sounds all means to us. We are not born with perfect processing, similar to many things in life it develops throughout childhood. However for some children, this development may take longer than expected impacting on education and daily communication.
Signs of difficulties with auditory processing may include:
- Difficulty with literacy development despite intervention (such as reading recovery)
- Difficulty with numeracy development, particularly as problems increase in language length / become more worded
- Difficulty maintaining focus throughout the day compared to peers
- Fatiguing easily with schoolwork
- Plateau or drop in academic development/performance
- Withdrawal from noisy activities / dislike of noisy group activities
- Misinterpretation of verbal messages – difficulty with comprehension
- Concerns with memory for learning
Ivy Audiology are committed to offering the most comprehensive and up-to-date auditory processing evaluations for children. The session includes thorough discussion and lengthy report to allow for understanding of potential issues and how to proceed with management where indicated. The session includes a full hearing test, middle ear function test and evaluation of auditory attention, temporal processing, auditory memory and sound discrimination testing including the LiSN-S.
If you would like to arrange a Central Auditory Processing Assessment for your child, or have any questions regarding the appointment, please contact us on 0420 334 093 or fill out our online contact form.
Does my child need an educational hearing test or a full auditory processing assessment?
An educational hearing test offers our standard diagnostic hearing test with a few auditory processing screeners included during the appointment. The results of this in conjunction with history discussion with your audiologist will help to pinpoint if your child may require further evaluation in the area. All full auditory processing assessments contain a hearing test to start with, so if this has been recently completed (within three months) a formal processing assessment can be arranged at a reduced fee to allow for the hearing test having already been completed.
If you are unsure of which assessment is right for you, an educational hearing test may be a good place to start, or please contact us to discuss which appointment is right for you.
Do you complete Auditory Processing Assessments in adults?
Auditory Processing Assessments in adults can be arranged where indicated, however these are only arranged following a diagnostic hearing test. This is to ensure the full assessment is the right course of management for you and to rule out concerns being related to other potential causes such as an underlying hearing loss or condition.