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Possibility of APD

Ami2301
Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
edited November 2018 in Sensory impairments
For nearly 2 years I have been learning to accept that I am deaf. In the last day or two I have discovered I might have APD which is Auditory Processing Disorder.

It means that the person is not deaf but has difficulty in understanding some words, simple sentences and complex sentences.

I have just seen my Speech and Language Therapist and she thinks there is a possibility that I have APD and is gouging to ask for an audiologists opinion. She done a little assessment with me, I was OK with one-words but struggled with ‘Double’ and ‘Trouble’ Then we tried sentences and I had to ask her to repeat herself on one, then another it just sounded like 4 words morphed into one and i couldn’t understand.

Now I just feel confused and lost...has anyone else had any experience of APD?
Disability Gamechanger - 2019
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Comments

  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Oh wow! That must have been a shock, how are you feeling about it @Ami2301?

    I found this past discussion where @androgen discusses ADP which may be helpful. Hopefully others will come forward and share their experiences too!
  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    I am just really confused @Pippa_Scope as this could potentially explain what happened last year. I had 2 suspected TIAs, a stroke can trigger APD.

    Thanks for the post, I will send them a message.
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • Androgen
    Androgen Community member Posts: 86 Courageous
    I was diagnosed fairly recently (this year actually) but when I was younger it was assumed I was deaf/hard of hearing

    You can actually get tested for it by a specialist audiologist (I had mine done by the Obscure Auditory Dysfunction team at the local hospital)
    They usually give you a questionnaire, test your normal hearing, and then do a series of tests with and without noise to see if you are able to hear normally, but also if you're estimating how well you can hear (so basically if you think you can hear it and you can't, or if you think you can't but you can)
    There isn't really much they can do about it unfortunately, but you'll get a letter for employers/schools if you need help with things because of it, and they may suggest specific things that will help for you
  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    Thanks @Androgen may I ask how you’ve been coping with it?
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • Androgen
    Androgen Community member Posts: 86 Courageous
    I try to lip read, my friends are quite good about looking at me when they talk, but other than that it's just trying to keep things quiet if possible
    Unfortunately we don't qualify for sign language support, but we're saving up for a course and learning signs online to use sign supported English, which is really useful (for me at least)
  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    I try to lip read too, but having central vision loss aswell makes it difficult but I really do try. It's good that you have a supportive network around you. I just wish people wouldn't laugh at me when I mispronounce words or I ask them to repeat themselves.

    Does your consultant know what caused your APD?

    I know a little bit of sign language, have you tried the British sign language website?
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • Androgen
    Androgen Community member Posts: 86 Courageous
    It seems like in my case I was born with it (I also have other brain issues, probably due to lack of oxygen at birth)

    We've looked online but all the courses are really expensive, we've found an online course fairly cheap for levels 1 & 2 of bsl, but tgere's also some BSL video dictionaries, so you can look up specific words and things that you need
  • GeoffBosworth195661
    GeoffBosworth195661 Community member Posts: 161 Pioneering
    Hello, all deafness is that many items you can choose from. If you went deaf late on in life then it can be a number of things. Have you had a hospital appointment? If you have had you had a scan this then gives a better understanding from your hearing. In most cases we have most common others are more complicated  These sought are very rare, have you tried any aids if you have then don't be conned of sound quality as hearing aids they have from NHS are just as good. That is your decision. You also can have a day in the hospital and have inserts that go behind the ear with a very little cut to have implants. If you are deaf then they can also supply vibrating words so the brain acknowledges what you can hear. You have a small charge for this type but as many benefits. Talk it through when you see your GP for the next appointment to the NHS. Have a lovely afternoon.
  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @GeoffBosworth195661

    Thank you for your advice. I have been having regular hearing tests since May 2017. They have tried 2 hearing aids and an amplifier. Both only enhance the noise that I already hear. It has been extremely difficult to explain to everyone that I can hear but I just cannot understand what some people are saying. It's incredibly frustrating. 

    Words that sound similar and complex sentences I really struggle with, for example, yesterday someone asked me how I was getting on with my job application. I heard job as shop. 
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    @Androgen I use the BSL video dictionaries, they're really good!
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Thanks for sharing your experiences, @Androgen!
  • dolfrog
    dolfrog Community member Posts: 441 Pioneering

    I was the first adulr in the Uk to be diagnosed as having APD back in 2003, and i also set up and helped run APDUK a support organisation to help the UK Medical Research Council get government funding for a 5 year APD research program 2004-2009 APD is about the brain having problems processing what the ears hear. APD is a listening disability, rather than a hearing disability. There are 4 different types of APD - having problems with low levels of background noise (identifying a target sound), having problems processing the gaps between sounds(including the gaps between words in rapid speech, having problems identifying the sound source location, and the brain having problems processing equally what each ear hears. Currently many countries have a  specific battery of diagnostic tests for APD assesment and diagnosis, unfortunately the UK is not one of them. APD is also the main underlying cognitive cause of the dyslexic symptom. and some may acquire these issues due to brain injury, stroke, dementia etc.

  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    Thanks for sharing @dolfrog the gaps in sentences I struggle with, everything just morphs into one. The last hearing appointment I had, I was told I don't have APD but I didn't have a specific test, I just had the standard hearing test.
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • dolfrog
    dolfrog Community member Posts: 441 Pioneering
    Unfortunately there are not many UK audiologists trained and qualified to assess and dsiagnose Auditory Processing Disorder, and many so called audiologists just try to hid their ignorance and lack of qualification. have a look at my new Research paper compilation at Zotero
  • dolfrog
    dolfrog Community member Posts: 441 Pioneering
    What you are describing is the temporla form of APD, and the main assessment test is the "Random Gap Detection Test". You may have to educate your local audiologist. 
  • dolfrog
    dolfrog Community member Posts: 441 Pioneering
    Hi @Ami2301 I have the genetic temporal type of auditory processing disorder, and have lived with APD all of my life. I only found out about APD when our son was diagnosed back in 1999, when doing some research to find out waht APD is, I sone discovered that I had been living with it all of my life.
    I have look at this thread in more detail, (due to my apd I have the dyslexia symptom) What you seem to be describing is Acute Aphasia, which results from stroke or brain injury, and is more acquired auditory processing problems. The same type of problems but due to a different underlying cause. there are also those who have various types of dementia which can cause Primary Progressive Aphasia which can aos cause problems processing what the ears hear.  There is one other acquired set of issues that can sometimes cone under the name of Auditory Agnosia. 

    In my last post I provide a link to my newly created research paper compilation at Zotero, which is a repacementfor my previous collection at CiteULike which closed down March 2019. I had been using CiteuLike to complile my research paper collection for the last 10 years. I still have my PubMed research paper collections, and some of these realting to Audioogy, such as some of the issues I have mentioned in this post are listed on one of my Evernote pages at


  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    I am seeing my consultant in 2 weeks, I will keep questioning the possibility of APD, thanks for your advice :)
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • dolfrog
    dolfrog Community member Posts: 441 Pioneering
    I seems like you need to educate your local audiologists  "Obscure Auditory Dysfunction" was the term used for adults who may have Auditory Processing Disorders prior to the UK Medical Research councils 2004 -2009 Auditory Processing Disorder research program.
    Unfortunately in recent years it has been left to those of us  who have APD to educate these so calledUK medical professionals. 

  • Androgen
    Androgen Community member Posts: 86 Courageous
    Educate them on what?

    The letter I got said "obscure auditory dysfunction team" but my actual specialist has APD and everyone referred to it as APD, the whole assessment was really straightforward, and I went back to see them recently because I'm struggling more so they've referred me on to try out hearing aids and an FM/radio aid, I've honestly had no problems with them at all?
  • dolfrog
    dolfrog Community member Posts: 441 Pioneering
    They probably have not updated their team name.
    FM systems have only demostrated to help those who have problems with low levesl of background noise as part of their APD issues.  Hearing aides only help thsewho have a hearing impairment. 
    I have the temporal form of APd, problems processing the gaps between sounds, which is the cause of my dyslexiasymptom, and problems following conversations, and following multiple verbal instructions. I also have word recall isse which is more an auditory and working memory set of issues all part of my APD lol.

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