r/AudiProcDisorder

hi i got diagnosed with APD back in high school along with autism. i’ve noticed that i have to put a lot of my energy into understanding what people have said (masking alone takes enough energy) this is effecting my work, for reference i work at an arcade while being a full time college student. i have an extremely hard time hearing/processing what customers and colleagues are saying to me sometimes it takes me a few minutes to understand what they mean. i’ve seen a lot of people suggest hearing aids and i’m wondering if this would help my situation. any advice or experience would be appreciated!

I'm wondering if there are any available, because most of the ones I have come across treat older people and aren't familiar with CAPD

And I am also wondering if there are any who are able to program low gain hearing aids for someone with CAPD and hyperacusis?

Hi there. I (15m) was diagnosed with apd at 2 and was given heavy treatment, and now can converse reasonably well when there is not too much background noise. The problem arrises when there is chaotic background noise, mainly crowds. Ij crowds it is extremely difficult for me to understand people and i become absolutely exhausted and miserable. I have an extremely hard time understanding teachers and actually absorbing what they say, though admittedly that also has to with my adhd as well. My mom does not seem to think i need them saying this is normal though. I would like to know at what point does apd go from just needing you to get therapy when little, to needing lifelong accommodations, and do i cross the line into needing lifelong accommodations. Btw i have tried loop earplugs and they are great at reducing volume but the volume has never been an issue for me, in fact i can be in a marching band rehearsal for hours and if there is very low background chatter i do not have any issues, but rather the sheer number of individual noises mixing together and how chaotic it is.

Why it’s me all the time??

Why’s it me all the time?? Why’s it me your bad you do it you don’t talk you you you me me me?!?! Why’s it you dont talk so no one can see you don’t talk so it’s why like if it gets hard for me to talk in my autism it’s like yeah it’s you it’s you it’s you it’s you people can’t see in your head so you don’t say words so it gets bad they don’t see it but how come no one has to say words use your words with me like all the time I do it it’s bad they do it it’s a ok 👍 like my helper they say oh its ok she try to make you be naked try to get off the shirt you don’t say words like I can do it i don’t want help so but how come she can’t do use your words and be like do you want help and not go in and try to get me naked and I don’t want to be and like my worker who gos off in Walmart not say she’s going to do something she can’t use your words but I do?!?!? Why’s is use your words for me no one but me !?!

My hard time talking and reading/writing gets hard for me to sometimes if I do bad

Recently a friend approached me that how I react to their struggle with auditory processing and memory has been upsetting them. They have APD and we likely both have autism and/or ADHD with different communication styles that I think unfortunately just clash poorly sometimes.

I do get irritated either repeating something I said or clarifying that I just said something a few seconds, a couple minutes, or an hour ago 2-3 times over, several times throughout a call together. This is an online friend, so more direct physical communication isn't possible.

I'm trying to better understand socializing with someone with APD and navigating this frustration, and letting go of the feeling of having to "tiptoe" around their memory and repetition myself.

Never been diagnosed, I know self diagnosis is cringe, but it explains why a lot.

I have recognized the main reason I avoid talking on the phone, ordering food, going to new places and doing new things is because I cannot process what strangers say in real time, accents just make it even worse. I have to preword my responses, if the cashier deviates from what I anticipated, I don’t understand what they ask

It’s at its worst when I’m the main person in the conversation, if I’m a person listening to 2 other people the words aren’t as garbled.

couple this with my adhd-inattentiveness and any form of directions or instructions are a recipe for confusion and being lost. Recently, I had to visit the ER, got directions from the desk and as soon as I got the first direction then couldn’t understand the 2nd, clarified and once I reached the 1st direction I forgot the rest.

it makes me seem useless, everyone else can get 5+ step instructions and be perfectly fine

For context, I'm a veterinary student currently on rotations with APD and ADHD.

The problem is, my APD makes me come across as uncertain and slow because I can't talk quick, and stumble over my words when talking. It really makes it sound like I don't know what i'm talking about, even when I do.

So, when i'm assighned as primary veterinarian on a case, I feel like my secondary and technicians end up taking over because I speak poorly and ask people to repeat information constantly to make sure I understand.

I'm in a field full of very smart people who speak and think quickly, and I feel like I stick out as "slow" and lacking confidence.

It makes it especially hard to advocate for my patients when I disagree with my peers assessment. For example; I had a dog come in that I believed was suffering from neurological issues, while my secondary disagreed. I couldnt argue my case effectively because of my APD, and it took a neuro specialist seeing my patient and agreeing with me for my secondary to finally trust my judgment.

I just wish people took me more seriously and saw me as more of a "leader" in my career.

Hi all,

I know auditory processing issues are pretty common with ADHD. I am AuDHD and trying to understand if this is something I struggle with or if I maybe have an issue with my hearing itself.

When I am in noisy places, it's like all the background noise turns into one big 'soup' that feels very loud and distracting. If I talk to someone with a quiet voice it will feel almost impossible to hear them, like they will be a bit quieter than all the background noise and certain words will just be totally inaudible. At other times it might just sound like someone is talking nonsense instead of using real words, like I'll hear them fine but it just sounds like random sounds.

While all this is happening I will have no trouble at all hearing basically everything around me with total clarity. It's like I can hear everything other than what I actually want to focus on. The funny thing is I don't remember having these issues at all as a kid or when I was younger, I mostly started noticing it in my mid-20s.

I'll get a hearing test soon, but does this sound similar to auditory processing issues for those who experience them?

i’ve had a small acoustic neuroma in my left ear for about a year and a half. early on my hearing was pretty muffled, then one day it suddenly cleared with a pop and felt almost normal again for quite a while. but a couple months ago things changed again after an appointment, and since then that ear feels blocked and my hearing has dropped a lot.

what’s strange is the constant popping and crackling since then. sometimes it feels like pressure is about to release, but it never fully does. it’s uncomfortable but also weirdly relieving for a second each time.

i’ve had it checked and was told there’s no blockage, and that it could just be how my ear is processing sound now. still, the timing makes me question if something else is going on alongside it. at one point i took a look using a small ear camera (bebird), just out of curiosity, and nothing obvious stood out.

just wondering if anyone else with a similar condition has had this kind of sudden change or pressure feeling?

I am diagnosed with APD. I am currently using low gain hearing aids and LACE AI training. I realized that while I always struggle, my speech recognition capabilities tends to fluctuate. Should I ask to be tested for ANSD?