“My son is in grade three and is having difficulty in school with reading, spelling and math. His teacher suggested we have him tested for APD? Is this a good idea?”
Auditory Processing Disorders can significantly affect a child’s listening, communicating and learning. Research has shown that APD can in some cases, can be the underlying cause of deficits in reading, spelling and math (especially word problems).
Although there is no “rule of thumb” for determine when to refer a child for comprehensive APD testing, the decision to refer should be based on a few considerations:
- Does your son have poor listening skills?
- Is he below grade level in reading and spelling?
- Does he have trouble understanding or following age appropriate instructions?
- Does he have trouble remembering material that was taught from one day to the next?
- Are the above behaviors displayed on a consistent basis?
If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes”, a referral for comprehensive APD testing is recommended.
Check out common APD Red Flags to help identify if your child is at risk for APD.
The diagnosis and treatment of APD is best done with a collaborative approach involving the audiologist, speech language pathologist, educational psychologist, resource teacher and classroom teacher. You may want to discuss a possible referral for APD testing with your school or simply contact our office and we can help guide you through the process of determining if APD testing is recommended.
Metro Hearing & Speech Center is unique in that we offer both Audiology and Speech Language Pathology services to diagnose and treat Auditory Processing Disorders (APD).