With the shift to online learning last year, we noticed a significant increase in parents bringing their children in to be tested for central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). This often comes from recommendations of the child’s teachers or physicians (though a doctor referral is not required to make an appointment).
If someone has CAPD it means their brain has difficulty understanding what their ears are hearing. If the brain is not processing words properly, it may appear as though the child is not hearing the speaker, which is why hearing loss must first be ruled out. It also may appear as though the child is not paying attention, which is why CAPD is often diagnosed in school-aged children.
Testing for CAPD with a specially-trained audiologist is important because there are many accommodations that can be made at school and at home to help the child focus if there is a processing issue. There are also ways that we can work with children using unique lesson plans to help children better understand the sounds they are hearing.
We can start testing children for CAPD at 6 years of age, but we are widening our parameters to start screening for CAPD at a younger age. Contact us at London Audiology Consultants if you have any questions about central auditory processing testing.