What Is Auditory Processing?
Auditory processing is how the brain sorts out incoming sounds. An auditory processing assessment looks at the whole auditory system from your ears all the way to your brain!
Children’s ears are often good at picking up soft sounds, but it takes time for the amazing neural pathways in their brain to develop. As auditory neural pathways strengthen, children learn to decipher speech and translate sound into meaningful information, to use both ears together as a pair, filter out distractions and focus on what speech matters most.
As we age auditory processing abilities can decline contributing to the reason many adults struggle to hear in noisy places or in a group when socialising.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is used to describe differences in how the brain processes sound. In addition to brain changes over the life span, differences can occur due to many reasons including developmental delay, frequent ear infections, as part of neurological disorders, or following brain injury or concussion. Differences in processing of sound is common in those with reading and spelling difficulties, dyslexia, and language delay. Autistic people often experience differences with auditory processing and benefit from interventions. Problems with auditory processing can happen at any stage of life, with any level of IQ or learning ability. Treatment can be effective for all.
We understand auditory processing and how this can affect quality of life and ability to learn or work
Why Test For APD?
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) affects how the brain makes sense of sound. It’s more common than many people realise.
The good news is that the brain is amazing at adapting, so with the right support and interventions auditory processing skills can improve at any age.
APD in Children
In children APD can impact listening, speech and language development, social communication, and learning progress. Early identification and support makes a big difference. Although APD is usually diagnosed from around 6 years old, it’s helpful to strengthen listening and auditory skills earlier if concerns arise. We help preschoolers build strong foundations for listening and learning, and support school-aged children to reach their full potential.
APD in Adults
Many adults with APD experience difficulty hearing in noisy environments or feel tired and frustrated from trying to listen. A standard hearing test often doesn’t tell the whole story. Our comprehensive auditory processing assessments provide a deeper understanding of your hearing and help identify practical solutions to make listening easier and less stressful.
Good auditory processing skills help us connect with others, supports emotional wellbeing, and reduces fatigue. Whether for a child, teenager, or adult, understanding and addressing APD can be life-changing.
Help With APD & Hearing
More than an Audiogram
APD testing dives deeper than a standard audiogram to better understand how the brain processes sound. The assessment uncovers the causes of hearing challenges that children and adults may face and provides solutions to improve the ability to understand speech, even in challenging situations.
Sound Sensitivity and Autism
For autistic people auditory challenges are very common. This may be experiencing heightened sensitivity to sounds, feeling overwhelmed in noisy place, and difficulty filtering and focusing on important sounds such as speech. By helping to understand these differences and applying interventions we aim to enhance learning and social communication skills, and contribute to overall well-being.
Brain Injury and Concussion
Concussion, trauma in early development, or brain injury can cause disruptions to the auditory pathways in the brain. This is often experienced as over sensitivity to sound, tinnitus, difficulty hearing when there is other noise going on, and feeling exhausted from listening and communicating. That’s why in addition to a hearing test or audiogram, an auditory processing assessment is essential to really understand what is going on. We work alongside ACC to assist individuals in understanding and managing hearing challenges post-injury.
Unlock Learning Potential
Hearing is the gateway to learning in a busy classroom. Auditory processing disorder can hold children back in school, affecting their academic success and self-esteem. APD often coincides with specific learning disorders including dyslexia, and can be an underlying cause of reading and spelling difficulties. By identifying and addressing auditory hurdles early on, you pave the way for smoother learning experiences, especially crucial during those formative years.
Listening with Focus
Sometimes listening difficulties are caused by more than just our ears. Listening difficulty can be due to attention problems and is often experienced by those with ADHD. When listening is hard it is important to check hearing and auditory processing skills. Interventions to improve listening can be very effective for students with ADHD, especially when medication isn’t the right answer.
We don’t just test for APD, we help build stronger auditory systems
What Are Treatments For APD?
Tailored Auditory Training
Auditory training is tailored to target specific hearing deficits, such as strengthening a weaker ear when there is amblyaudia, or enhancing spatial processing skills to improve listening in the busy classroom. We offer both app-based and in-clinic options to suit individual needs.
Classroom Support
Children and their teachers need to be well supported, so they can achieve the best outcome possible with the training techniques and hearing equipment prescribed to them. Having an audiologist working with and readily available for your child’s teacher is a great way to make sure everyone is on-board and well supported throughout the school year.
Effective Amplification Solutions
Amplification strengthens auditory processing abilities and helps overcome listening challenges. Remote microphone systems sometimes referred to as RMHA systems, work wonders in the classroom, benefiting students with APD, as well as those with ADHD, Dyslexia, and Autism. Hearing aids specially programmed for APD, sometimes called low-gain hearing aids, can be paired to a remote mic and are also a great option for adults and students. Most students we see will get funding from Disability Support Services or Ministry of Education.
Targeted Literacy and Language Therapy
Literacy and language therapy can be used to target the effects of auditory processing deficits. Working with a speech language therapists, teacher or literacy tutor can help children to improve their language skills and make sense of the sounds which make up words.
Experienced & Trusted
You are in good hands. We have helped thousands of students and adults over many years and use the most current research-informed assessments and interventions.
Only a specialised audiologist can diagnose APD that’s why APD Specialists receives referrals from all around Aotearoa. Our expertise is recommended by ENT’s, Paediatricians, Psychologists, Speech-language Therapists, Ministry of Education, and Audiologists.
We follow the NZ APD Guidelines and use the best tests and equipment. Experience means we are efficient, thorough, and flexible. Assessments usually take 1 1/2 hours. We help you understand the results, then provide an easy to read report and clear plan for intervention within a few days.
A phone call or email conversation with our friendly audiologist is a great way to help you navigate the next best steps.
Treatments improve auditory processing, learning and quality of life
Your Specialist APD Audiologist
Joanna Wallace
MAud (hon), MNZAS, CCC
Audiologist
Joanna is an experienced audiologist in both paediatric and adult hearing care who completed her Masters in Audiology at The University of Auckland. Her main areas of expertise are the assessment and treatment of hearing difficulties related to auditory processing disorders, Autism, ADHD, and brain injury. She has worked across public and private healthcare, including Charge Audiologist at Counties Manukau Te Whatu Ora, Council Member for the National Foundation of the Deaf, and established the visiting audiology service in Niue. Joanna is also a Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland where she lectures in clinical skills and APD for the Masters of Audiology program. Joanna has access to the latest evidence-informed assessments and treatments, and regularly provides professional development training to school teachers and psychologists.
With funding from a TSB New Zealand grant in 2021, Joanna started Listen Launchpad. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Listen Launchpad reduces barriers to accessing auditory processing services for children in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland.
Exceptional Care & Communication
“Joanna’s depth of knowledge in this area was clear from the start. She explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and took the time to really listen—not just to us as parents, but to our son as well. She saw our child, not just a diagnosis.”
– Parent
Funding & Support For APD
– Joanna is a registered member of the NZ Audiology Society, ACC provider and Ministry of Health Hearing Aid Funding Scheme and Subsidy provider.
– APD Specialists is an affiliated provider for Southern Cross and NIB Health Insurance. We use Southern Cross EasyClaim.
– For students with significant learning needs, remote microphone systems may be covered through Ministry of Education Assistive Technology funding. We can help you and your school to access this.
– We provide accessible and affordable fitting services for remote mic systems. Our standard fitting appointment is $350. For some students we provide a free fitting service.
– Schools can also link in with our Listen Launchpad pathway – supported by funding from TSB New Zealand. Listen Launchpad removes barriers to accessing auditory processing services and treatments for kiwi kids by providing free in-school APD assessments.
Check out the following links for more information:
Ministry of Education INFORMATION PAGE on what support is available for students with APD
Start Your Journey To Better Hearing
Hearing is the gateway to learning in the classroom, connects us to others, and protects our wellbeing
We’d Love To Help You
Contact
027 9 227 227
Clinic Hours
Monday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Location
The Stichbury Bidwill Centre
251 Campbell Road, Greenlane, Auckland 1061
Patient parking available off William Ave
