by: Lindsay Hutton
Do you think your child might have Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)? Find out the most common characteristics of this disorder to help you decide whether your child needs to be tested.
Poor Listening Skills
A child with CAPD may have difficulty paying attention, otherwise known as having an auditory memory deficit. He may make frequent requests for repetition. He may also have difficulty remembering or memorizing spoken information, and convey poor communication skills, such as being overly terse or abrupt when speaking.
Difficulty Following Multi-Step Directions
Children with CAPD often have trouble following multi-step directions, especially if they are given orally. Each step must be understood and completed before moving on to the next step.
Poor Organizational Skills
Poor planning and organizational skills are prime characteristics of CAPD. A child with this disorder may not have the attention span to plan and follow through with long term assignments, and benefits most in a highly structured environment. Assistive learning technologies are also helpful.
Difficulty with Reading, Spelling, and/or Comprehension
Although they prefer written instructions, children with CAPD often demonstrate poor reading and spelling skills. As a result, poor note-taking skills become a characteristic as well.
Easily Distracted by Sounds
A child with CAPD is unusually sensitive to sounds, and has trouble hearing and comprehending in a loud environment. He is easily distracted by noise, and has extreme difficulty concentrating or paying attention if background noise is present.
Difficulty Carrying on Long Conversations
Since sounds and noise easily distract a child with CAPD, he has a hard time carrying on long conversations. He has difficulty hearing and understanding what is being said and gives inconsistent responses. Conversations on the telephone are also difficult.
