/r/APD

Photograph via snooOG

We are a community of people who live with Auditory Processing Disorder. Join us for a sense of community for people living with APD!

Questions are also welcomed from those unfamiliar with the disorder!

Related Communities


/r/deaf
/r/hardofhearing
/r/AudiProcDisorder


Disclaimer:
This is meant to be a community centered more for adults than kids. This means that your post could be removed if you are asking for advice about your child with APD however this is lenient and likely your post will not be removed.


Please do not come here seeking a diagnosis with APD we are not audiologists. If you are concerned please speak with an audiologist

/r/APD

1,181 Subscribers

3

Air Pod Pros 2 for APD?

Does anyone on here have Air Pod Pros 2? I've heard that they have some great features with noise filtering and was wondering if they'd help in really noisy settings, or in a lecture hall.

2 Comments
2024/11/26
19:11 UTC

10

Understanding songs

Anyone else have a hard time understanding what is sung in songs because the music is too loud? I often have a hard time and will have to look up the lyrics.

6 Comments
2024/11/11
15:58 UTC

7

Tips for someone with APD and college

This is my first semester in a pretty big college and has been giving me difficulty, especially in bigger lecture halls, with digesting the information and focusing on getting homework done. I had a IEP/ 504 plan for APD in K-12 but because its been a while sense I was evaluated for APD my college cant give me help at the moment until I can get back in with my doctor. Does anyone have any study tips or ideas on how I can be successful in these lecture halls?

3 Comments
2024/11/11
07:11 UTC

9

Does APD affect anybody else’s speech too?

Just to note I have ADD and some unknown strand/type of dyslexia. Growing up and not being able to fully understand speech made it harder for me to learn how to speak. As well with trouble reading the way I pronounce things in my head with words also makes a few random words come out differently. Like I’ll have trouble speaking because of the words I’m saying and it’ll jumble, or I won’t even bother saying it. I just kind of pronounce some words weird cause I can’t process speech so I can’t pick up on things. I’ve never researched this much when I got diagnosed and nobody Ik ever knows what APD is so maybe this is just a symptom and this is like common knowledge among everyone else but I’m not sure.

7 Comments
2024/11/09
13:10 UTC

4

Learning Spanish?

On the note that I have trouble understanding people, whether APD or ADHD, is it still possible for me to learn Spanish? I want to help the Immigrants in my city but is it possible for me to get to the point that I can effectively communicate?

5 Comments
2024/11/08
21:01 UTC

4

ADP or ADHD?

Hello! I'm on Strattera(60mg) for almost a year and, while it's been helping, since I moved to AZ and stopped taking my anti anxiety medication I've noticed a significant increase in over activity in my brain. I'm generally not as anxious as I was on the medication, and my memory is doing better, but now I'm having trouble understanding speech? I can look at someone as they are talking to me and, while I know what the words mean, sentences are not making sense in my mind. Could this be an auditory processing disorder or the ADHD acting up?

1 Comment
2024/11/08
20:59 UTC

9

Do I have APD?

So I'm not asking for a diagnosis I'm just wondering if I have these things in common with you guys.

So basically ever since I was really little, my parents yelled at me for my listening. However I was a good kid and always tried but just couldn't somehow. Even as an adult, I have to ask people to repeat themselves like 3 times before I understand them. It doesn't even have to have noise in the background, it's just as if I didn't know they were talking in the first place. It is especially worse with background noise but I always struggle. If it helps, I have gotten my hearing tested and it's above average.

I'm just wondering, should I look into this more???

5 Comments
2024/10/28
21:52 UTC

11

Anyone else have hearing aids?

I got hearing aids about two months ago to try and find a solution for my CAPD. I knew it was a long shot, but I was so frustrated that I was willing to try. Turns out it makes a huge difference in my case! It's important to note that I don't have ADHD, which seems to change the APD experience a bit. I was wondering if anyone else has hearing aids for their APD? If so, what has your experience been like?

23 Comments
2024/10/16
04:47 UTC

24

A new good way to explain my hearing difficulties.

I just had a conversation with my wife where I had a bit of an epiphany. She was speaking and I had lost the thread of her words. And it hit me, listening to conversations to me is like listening to 5 songs at the same time and trying to pick out a single beat.

Sometimes it takes me a moment to find the beat, and other times I lose it randomly and cannot find it until a break in the conversation. Sometimes I can't find the beat at all and have to ask someone to tap it out for me. (Spell the words out)

Maybe this can help y'all explain your hearing difficulties as I know it can be an awkward subject. My wife definitely thought it was a more cohesive explanation that I usually offer!

8 Comments
2024/10/15
21:36 UTC

10

Classic conversation on the tube

On the noisy tube, on way to see the Jacksonville Jaguars play at Tottenham

Brother in law: "something something minute's silence for Harry Kane"

Me: silent, confused, thinking "why would there be a minute's silence for Harry Kane?"

Boyfriend: "incomprehensible mumble not cancelling games"

Me, still confused: What the hell happened to Harry Kane??!"

2 minutes later, the penny drops: Oh, the hurricane, ok that makes more sense.

0 Comments
2024/10/13
13:11 UTC

5

Is this APD or maybe something else?

Hey! I’m a teenage female and have gone to the doctors with my symptoms but to not much help. I got sent home with a few emails with tests for questions that relate to adhd (so they think I have adhd) and am having a blood test done? No clue how it correlates but oh well. I’ve been Googling symptoms and thought it would be best to ask people who actually have it to see if it sounds similar to apd!

I only just realised months ago that when people are speaking to me, I usually just smile and nod along though can't properly make out what they are saying. It's like I hear them at a normal volume but I can't comprehend their words - this usually happens with background noise to the point I'll ask "what??" So many times everyone around me is just pissed. Its not so bad in the classroom when I’m listening to teachers unless the class is being rowdy which is a good sign I think? It's becoming annoying now I've realised this happens almost every day. My parents and friends just thought I was rude and ignoring them though I don't want to self diagnose. Also for years I've heard a weird whistling ringing when it's quiet - only just been told that's not normal for everyone? No clue what that is but could be related.

Medical history- I've had my earwax cleaned out and my doctor said my eardrums are normal, when I was around 4 I did fail the school standard hearing test - they tested me at a hospital and said I was normal but I'm wondering if maybe it's neurological instead.

5 Comments
2024/10/10
20:22 UTC

16

How to know if your APD is a part of or separate from your ADHD?

I can't say it's an attention problem very often. Sometimes it is, but most of the time I'm paying complete attention to the person and I still hear gibberish.

For example, a while ago my sister was telling me something. I asked her to repeat herself. Five times later, she's yelling it to me and I still can't process the words that are coming out of her mouth. I wasn't distracted by anything else, and she was less than ten feet away from me.

But on the other hand, bad auditory processing is a symptom of ADHD.

2 Comments
2024/10/03
19:15 UTC

3

Use of airpods for apd

Hi, im a 17 year old boy. I just wanted peoples opinions on the airpods pro 2 for apd. Ive been using hearing aids for most of my life and as they're old they're not consistently working. I was wondering are airpods worth it or are hearing aids the only option? Please tell me your experiences with airpods in the replies. Thank you

14 Comments
2024/09/28
15:56 UTC

0

chatGPT can help for APD a lot ! . it also has information about buffalow model now.

Prompt:"you are APD treatment advisor . an APD patient visit you . assess him by asking him symptoms give him treatment options. lets start"this prompt will assess you and will give you many options. it suggested me few things that helped. few things such as "gradual exposure to conversation in noisy environment" and "playing memory games" has made me a little better. use chatGPT and if any questions then ask it. its a gift

1 Comment
2024/09/19
21:13 UTC

4

How does Apd effect relationships

During my last relationship with my ex in important conversations i struggled to concentrate and actually stay present in the conversation my mind was wondering and i often reply to serious conversations with just yes and agreeing but not processing any of the information they say does anyone have any advice

1 Comment
2024/09/18
20:54 UTC

1

Is this a typical exam result trend for APD?

I hear fine, just some words sound mushy or incomplete

7 Comments
2024/09/16
06:01 UTC

11

I regret life

Voluntarily applied to be a medical receptionist as someone with adhd and apd.
I can barely understand what my colleague is saying and im processing 2% of whats happening.
Now I'm googling whether MAID is viable for someone with mental illness.

0 Comments
2024/09/05
00:57 UTC

13

I can't hear what my friends are saying

I'm in riot bar Dublin.

About half an hour has passed since I last heard anything

6 Comments
2024/08/28
23:13 UTC

2

Earbud Question

Hi everyone! I want to know if any of you wear earbuds? Ever since I was a kid, my mom hasn't wanted me to wear earbuds because she says it's not good for my APD. I don't know where she got this and I wear headphones to listen to music all the time. I want to wear earbuds because they are small and easy to store. Does anyone know anything about people with APD not being able to wear earbuds? Thanks!

23 Comments
2024/08/18
20:59 UTC

5

APD causing problems at work?

My APD - came about a few years ago due to a TBI - really seems to be a huge issue for a lot of other people.

At my job, about 2 years ago there were some new leadership and policies that mean most meetings cannot be transcribed, recorded, or even captioned.

With that ADA accommodation gone, the replacement became that my job duties got shifted a bit. I’d been supposed to take notes in this 90 minute meeting once a week that… I was told to try my best one day and just couldn’t understand or hear ANYTHING without the captioning and transcripts.

So someone more junior (probably more appropriate to their level) was given this task instead. I was completely shifted from any project that required very long meetings. The talking in circles, multiple people talking at once, often arguing… the dozens of speakers, the really long time… It all compounds. I also struggle with verbal memory.

A few months ago I got a new manager (promoted from another team to lead ours) who really took issue with my not taking notes in these meetings. My hearing impairments + speech impairment (all TBI related), he saw as anxiety and lack of confidence, and felt it was his God-given duty to “fix” me.

That’s been a real shitshow with HR and not a fun work environment. It’s also been brought to my attention that my needing assistive technology in meetings (that leadership doesn’t permit) is holding me back.

When I have a meeting or presentation, I prepare talking points and answers to potential questions in advance… so when I’m READING those I “speak as well as I write”. but when I have to speak off the cuff, my speech impediment and APD both shows. The times I can do well are being held against me. I work full remote and peole don’t realize I’m reading out loud… so they get mad and claim I don’t need supports. Then when they see my REAL spontaneous speech, they jump all over me.

A client will request me to lead a project that I could effing rock, but then management tells them, “Oh no she’s not quite there yet.” Then discusses how “she’s so smart and does such great work, but her speech and inconsistent executive presence are a dealbreaker.”

The only reason I feel unconfident or unhappy at work is that I’m being kept on a leash and feel like I can never get a promotion due to my disability.

I;m just wondering if this is normal?

And yes, I am speaking to both an attorney and to Vocational Rehab…

0 Comments
2024/08/18
14:30 UTC

4

Extreme aggressiveness bc of APD?

Hi, My bf and I have both education in the spacial ed field and are both pretty sure I have APD. I've not felt the necessity to get a diagnosis, but something today changed that. My father got extremely angry and told me that I was disrespectful for saying X. The thing is, I didn't say that. I feel absolutely crazy but I'm pretty sure I know what situation he is referring to, and I didn't say what he says I said. My father has always been hard of hearing but has always complained about the hearing aids "not working". He speaks incredibly softly, answers to questions nobody asked and now that I read up on APD some more symptoms come to mind. I've read for the first time today that there is a potential for APD to be hereditary. I feel extremely uncomfortable with how he chose to confront me and I was so shocked that I couldn't speak. Are these kinds of misunderstandings typical for APD? My experience with what I think is APD is that sometimes words just sound like gibberish, but not that I will actually understand something completely different. But I am also drowning in self doubt for maybe being rude bc I'm taking a weird cocktail of meditation right now because of an ongoing cancer treatment. Bf says the rude remark would be highly out of character for me, I agree but who knows. I still have a bitter taste in my mouth from this situation, bc even if i said that, his reaction is very over the top. Sorry for the rambling, I've been crying all night because of this and can't really explain any better.

4 Comments
2024/08/01
23:19 UTC

4

I feel like my APD and SPD is deteriorating as I age

Hi all,

For as long as I can remember, I have been diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, ADHD, and purity OCD. However, as of the past 2 years, my sensory processing disorder has been spiraling out of control.

When I was a toddler, I was in OT where I did routine tasks to alleviate my processing disorder. They said I was "better", and I also placed out of the gifted classes they had in elementary school. I was placed in regular classes and treated as such. I had no problem with problem solving, logic, etc. I actually excelled in school quite a bit. However, it wouldn't be until high school when my processing disorder started to tick. I would start not noticing objects at all or entirely, routing to my possible ADHD and tunnel vision issues. I have constant spatial awareness issues where I constnalty bump into things, trip over myself constantly, or fail to recognize certain patterns.

I also EXTREMELY bad selective hearing, meaning if I am on the phone or on the computer, I don't hear anyone except for myself. I always had some sort of attention issue, but it has been getting worse over the years.

Everywhere I see, i see that "sensory processing disorder stops during childhood", however mine has gotten so much worse I feel.

When I started doing reserach in a lab, one of the biggest obstacles was repetition and keeping everything consistent. I would have trouble not skipping lines when I read, or forgetting to add something despite checking it over my list a bunch of times, it being right there. .

However, the BIG reason why I am posting on here is because of what happened today. Today, i went to the bank to deposit $300 to my bank account. I asked the teller to deposit the money, gave her the $300, and left after taking the receipt. I didn't even look at the receipt until my mom looked at it later today, where she saw i made a WITHDRAWAL of 300 dollars instead of a deposit. So, not only did I lose $300 in cash, I also lost $300 in my account, totaling $600. I should have been more attentive and I should have looked at the receipt, but I'm not sure exactly why I am the way I am like this. I feel like I've never grown out of this, that my attentive skills have remained the same over time, and right now I'm feeling pretty shitty regrading the whole situation.

Anyways, please let me know if what I am going through is something normal, or is indicative of something worse than just a processing disorder. I'm not trying to absolve my stupidity at the bank, but I am trying to understand why my thought processes formulated the way they did.

12 Comments
2024/07/29
22:04 UTC

5

I STRONGLY BELIEVE I HAVE APD. BUT I AM FROM KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA AND I CAN'T FIND PLACES WHERE I WOULD GET TESTED CORRECTLY

I don't completely know how reddit works. But reddit has helped me a LOT in me finding out that I have APD after going through all the posts and comments regarding its symptoms and all.

I am from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. 23 year old male. I can speak in English , Hindi and Bengali. For the past 2 years I have been to various ENT doctors and audiologists in Kolkata and like all the tests done by them came out normal like PTA Test, BERA Test, OAE Test and every audiologist said that I don't have a problem. Now I am pasting the whole essay-like thing I sent to an audiologist on whatsapp regarding where I face all my hearing problems so please give that a read too.

Here is my problem. I have a hearing problem. I absolutely hear nothing when I try to speak with a person outside home like in a noisy environment like vegetables, fish bazaar. I also understand nothing what the person I am with is saying when I am in road with traffic noises. I also understand nothing when I am in college be it outside the class or inside. When the teacher is teaching I can hardly make out 60-70% of what he says despite sitting in the first bench whereas people sitting in the last benches have no problem. Now coming to situations where I can hear somewhat, I can interact comfortably in closed environments where there is little to no noises like my home with my mother, father and sister. When I speak on my phone or laptop meetings with my earphones on, I can only hear when the voice is crystal clear which is like 50% of the times in a phone call. I have made some friends online with whom I speak in online meetings on laptop putting my earphones on. They all speak hindi language and I can only understand them if their voices are crystal clear and their accents are normal to little difference. If I hear someone in a bihari accent, UP accent, haryana accent I understand nothing what they are saying. When I am speaking to or listening to someone with a normal hindi accent or normal bengali accent I can mostly interact with them comfortably but when I hear a new word which I haven't heard before in my life no matter how many times they say it I will never be able to figure out the pronunciation confidently and will ask them the spelling. When I am watching a 20min youtube video with a normal hindi accent, I usually miss what the youtuber said and rewind 10 seconds to hear it again. I do this maybe twice or thrice in 20 min video. And also whenever there are subtitles I always turn them on be it any youtube video or a tv series on OTT. Some hindi serials on OTT dont have subtitles so I have trouble making out what they are saying.

This year I have been to 2 wedding cermonies and I could absolutely hear nothing. While others were interacting comfortably, when someone tried to speak to me, I would bring my ear to his mouth to try to hear him. I could understand nothing coming out from the loud music speakers. Also when people where speaking from their microphone I understood nothing.

Also, when in laptop meetings even if people have crystal clear voices with normal hindi accents, when more than 1 person is speaking at the same time I cannot understand anyone is saying whereas they are communicating without any problem. So I have trouble in active group conversations even when the voices are clear and no accents.

Also, since the past 2 months I have noticed I have trouble following instructions when someone says them to me or like when someone is trying to explain something to me.

So, now that I have told about my hearing problem. 2 weeks back I came across Auditory Processing Disorder and read about its symptoms on reddit and all and people talking about their problems and realising that I have the exact same problems, I strongly believe I have APD.

So after learning about APD I asked various audiologists whether they do APD test or not and most of the audiologists in Kolkata don't even know what APD is and its full-form. I found one audiologist who does its test and its the same audiologist whom I sent that essay to. So I asked him about the cost and duration of the test, he said the duration is 30 mins and the cost is Rs 800. I then knew this test wouldn't be done right since I read online that it is an approx 3 hour test and knew it will again show normal test reports and it was. I went today for the APD test and the audiologist made me put on headphones and made me listen to some sounds of frequencies but with the door open so there was some background noise of the ceiling fan. Then he spoke some words covering his mouth. Then he did the same but with some static-like noises in the headphones. He said that I was able to hear fine and I went home. So now I am home, I am writing this and I don't know what to do. Where to get tested? How to get treatment if I get diagnosed?

I mainly see all the posts on reddit regarding APD from people from US, UK and all and that it's a 200 dollars test.

So, what to do?

2 Comments
2024/07/27
15:28 UTC

7

Is it APD if it's situational?

So for years I've thought I'm losing my hearing, but I'm realizing that I can hear fine, I just can't understand well and things can sound like jibberish at first. Looking back I see that I might have a fairly mild case of APD. As a teenager I got called a 'close-talker" by one of my teachers, for example. At work I've always said 'sorry? Pardon?" near constantly and I noticed I stare at people's mouths when they speak.

But when I'm at home, I'm fine. If I'm talking with a friend or family member, I tend to be fine.

If I'm talking to a few people in a quiet room, I'm fine.

I saw someone posted about having APD while learning to drive with an instructor and struggling. For me this was not a problem.

It's only really when I'm at work, kinda stressed out and especially if there is more than one person in the room. If the room has any echo whatsoever, forget about me hearing a damn thing. If there are several people in a conversation and any ambient noise, I will struggle. People sound like they are speaking a different language and I have to ask them to repeat themselves. It especially noticeable because no one else seems to be having a hard time following, no one else is constantly saying "huh? What? Can you say that again?"

I'm about to talk to my doctor about this to start looking into it but I'm curious if you guys think this still could be APD if I don't having symptoms of it in every situation.

11 Comments
2024/07/16
11:59 UTC

4

Help needed

I have trouble taking lectures, listening or singing along songs and asking friends to repeat myself. I'm in doctor profession so i really neeeeed some therapies i can afford for free

0 Comments
2024/07/15
20:28 UTC

9

Can any of you go to a meeting, lecture etc. and come out with nothing/very little?

In other words come out knowing none/very little of what is said? This happens to me.

6 Comments
2024/07/02
23:10 UTC

35

🙋 guilty as charged! Hearing everything such that I can’t hear anything important is really frustrating at times…

“ I’m sorry I heard your voice but not the words. ”

I’ve lost count of how many times per day I’ve uttered that sentence.

3 Comments
2024/06/23
14:03 UTC

6

This is EXACTLY what some music sounds like lmao

This song was written to imitate English but it's not in any language. If I don't pay attention this is what most songs sounds like to me lmfao.

6 Comments
2024/06/22
18:49 UTC

7

ADHD with APD in a new role

Hi, all. I recently took a new position and after being on the job for a few weeks, it has become apparent that I, in a non-office admin role, will be put on the round-robin for phones. A phone on my ear is like a black hole. I won't catch their name let alone what their issue is. How do I talk to my supervisor about this previously-undisclosed shared responsibility to answer the phones?

1 Comment
2024/06/19
13:27 UTC

19

AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER

Is it common for symptoms to APD to vary or be amplified periodically or do to the environment?

Does anyone else with APD feel like what they know are background noises sound incredibly loud?

Does anyone else get so overstimulated that you're annoyed by other people breathing?

I'm in a business meeting and here's a little list of the sounds that have me feeling like I'm gonna have a complete breakdown.

Pens clicking Furniture moving Water bottled crackling Lids of water bottles being screwed off/on Water flowing through the pipes overhead Footsteps of walking on the floor above us Breathing Coughing Sneezing Typing Plastic snack packages being handled (probably the worse one) And more...

I feel like I'm losing my mind. Is this normal??

What can I do to help myself?

I tried taking some ADHD medicine but it hasn't helped at all. In fact, I think it may have made it worse. Or it just keeps getting worse because I can't change any of it.

I'll take any advice!

15 Comments
2024/06/07
17:45 UTC

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