Is it ADHD or Auditory Processing Disorder?
Do you have a child that sounds like this?
Struggles to focus in a noisy environment
Trouble paying attention in class
Zones out in conversations
Has difficulty following directions
Fidgety and easily distracted
Delayed response to questions
Social, emotional, or behavioral problems
Lower academic performance
Sounds like ADHD, right? But what if it’s not?
Consider Ethan and Michael. Ethan has ADHD. He is smart and usually has the right answer, but is in hyperdrive all the time. He is constantly disrupting his classmates. Michael’s teacher thinks Michael has ADHD because he, too, disrupts his peers. He makes jokes, looks over peers’ shoulders and grabs at their papers. He gets almost nothing done in class. As disruptive as he is, Michael does not have ADHD. His antics are helping him cope with auditory processing struggles. In classroom discussions, both of these boys have good comments to contribute, however Michael is able to appropriately engage, while Ethan blurts out constantly. Ethan’s ADHD infiltrates nearly everything.
A child with common ADHD symptoms whose symptoms aren’t 100% pervasive, such as Michael’s, should be considered for Auditory Processing Disorder. Auditory processing is one of the many underlying learning skills that are critical to learning and functioning efficiently. When a foundational skill, such as Auditory processing is weak, it can stress the attention system, mimicking ADHD, which results in many misdiagnoses.
An auditory processing problem is not a hearing problem. There is nothing wrong with the ears. But something is lost in translation.
Auditory processing is how the brain perceives and thinks about the information coming in through the ears. When the brain is not processing the information clearly and completely, it may be like having a bad phone connection. The person is getting some of the information, but not all, so he is constantly trying to connect the dots. He has to put an excessive amount of energy into listening and often the information does not quite make sense. What results is exhaustion, loss of attention, irritability or anxiousness, and confusion.
The good news is that an auditory processing challenge can be permanently corrected in the Learning Academy. Chatterbox Learning Academy is individualized, one on one, research backed therapy proven to permanently treat attention challenges, dyslexia, Auditory Processing Disorder, Neurodevelopmental Delay, and more. By addressing the root causes of learning challenges, the Learning Academy removes learning challenges and greatly improves a child’s potential for academic success. Subsequently, social and emotional challenges also become extinct and the child and his family find a new happy normal. Complete our online screening tool to find out if the Learning Academy is a good fit for your child.