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There are several good reasons why Central Auditory Processing Disorder, or CAPD, is difficult to diagnose properly. Conventional hearing tests do not always catch CAPD because the condition originates in the brain, not the ears. Youngsters with CAPD can hear spoken phrases and sounds, especially speech, but their brains improperly process the signals sent by the ears. One more reason it is hard to diagnose is because children often develop advanced coping mechanisms. These children may be pros at using expressions or reading lips to conceal their condition.These characteristics of Central Auditory Processing Disorder also make treatment of the condition challenging, because any individual trying to enhance the child’s speech comprehension must continuously remain cognizant of them and develop approaches to work around them. Unfortunately there is no recognized cure or treatment for CAPD that works well across all kids. Each treatment plan is highly personalized and adjusted based on the patients’ capabilities and limitations. With that said, there are a number of treatment protocols which are greatly strengthening childrens’ learning prognosis.Central Auditory Processing Disorder therapy falls into three primary categories – environmental change, direct treatment and compensatory strategies.

• Compensatory Strategies – The group of methods including attention, memory, problem-solving and language improvement skills is called compensatory strategies. These particular therapies give students better coping skills and techniques that enable them to do well at learning, and also make them learn to take responsibility for their own learning success. Lessons intended to improve these types of skills might contain “active listening” drills or solving word problems.
• Direct Treatment – Computer-aided learning and one-on-one therapy sessions fall under the category of direct treatment. These strategies make use of the brain’s inherent plasticity and ability to establish new neurological pathways and abilities. These treatment options routinely include, in the classroom, at home or in therapy sessions, the use of Hasbro’s “Simon” game or the “Fast ForWord” educational software from Scientific Education to help pupils to improve the sequencing, discrimination, and processing of acoustic inputs. Some direct CAPD therapy uses dichotic training which trains the brain on hearing multiple sounds in different ears and analyzing the blended inputs correctly. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s “Earobics” program, is also employed by some professionals to strengthen phonological awareness.
• Environmental Change – In the category of environmental change one technique is lowering the level of ambient noise via soundproofing and putting in acoustic tiles, curtains or wall hangings because surrounding noise is proven to make it harder for an individual with CAPD to comprehend speech. In certain school rooms, the teachers don a microphone and the CAPD pupils wear small receivers, so that the teacher’s voice is amplified and clarified, making it distinct from other sounds or voices. Some benefits are from better lighting, because lips and expressions are easier to read on fully lit faces than on dimly-lit faces.

So treatments are available if your child is diagnosed with CAPD, but bear in mind that the first step is identifying the condition, and doing this early. If there is a way we can assist with this, please phone or email us. Allow us to add our years of hearing expertise and connections with local Central Auditory Processing Disorder specialists to helping your child learn properly.

It is hard to give a single response to the question “What kind of battery do I buy for my hearing aid?” because hearing aid types and styles vary widely, and so do the batteries used to operate them. If you already have a hearing aid, check the device’s manual or the hearing care professionals who sold it to you to verify the right battery type and size. If you’re still looking for a hearing aid and trying to choose which style is best for you, you might wish to do some comparison shopping to assist you in your selection. The explanation for this is that hearing aid batteries differ in price and in battery lifespan, and so an estimate of how many of them you’ll need over time can influence your choice of which hearing aid to get.Fortunately, hearing aid battery packaging uses a standardized color coding scheme. The sizes are all standard across manufacturers, so the color on the package is a dependable indication of the battery size and type.The 4 most common ones are:Size 10 / Yellow – Size 10 hearing aid batteries are identified with a yellow color code, and are currently the most extensively used, being used in a large number of In-The-Canal (ITC) and Completely-In-Canal (CIC) styles; due to their smaller size, they have an approximated battery lifespan of about 80 hours.Size 13 / Orange – Size 13 batteries are frequently used in In-the-Ear (ITE) and Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aids, and have an average battery lifespan of 240 hours.Size 675 / Blue – Size 675 is always coded blue, and is typically found in Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aids and in selected cochlear implants; the 675 batteries are fairly large and have the benefit of a long charge, lasting as much as 300 hours.Size 312 / Brown – Brown corresponds to Size 312 batteries. Size 312 batteries are on the smaller end of the spectrum and typically maintain a charge for about 175 hours. These batteries are commonly found in In-The-Ear (ITE) and In-The-Canal (ITC) hearing aids.These 4 battery types cover most hearing aids, however there are a few exceptions that necessitate alternative batteries. Most in-store providers of hearing aid batteries advertise and stock the more common battery types above, however if you inquire about a specific type, they can usually get it for you.Before stocking up on batteries, remember to read the manual that came with your device to make sure it doesn’t have rechargeable batteries; if it does, you need disposable ones only as back-up. To keep your batteries fresh and fully charged after you purchase them, always store them inside at room temperature and in their original, unopened packages.