“Processing disorder” is a broad term that is used to describe a range of communication disorders. Two common processing disorders are language processing disorder and auditory processing disorder.
A language processing disorder (LPD) is not the same as an auditory processing disorder (APD). In an LPD, children will have trouble understanding and making sense of the words they hear. They may have problems:
- Following directions
- Understanding stories
A speech-language pathologist evaluates LPD.
Children with APD have trouble hearing and interpreting the message. It is different from hearing loss or deafness. Children with APD:
- May have normal hearing
- Do not correctly process or interpret what they hear
- Have trouble hearing the differences between sounds in words. This can happen even when the sounds are clear and loud enough to be heard.
- May have more trouble when in a noisy area
An audiologist evaluates APD.