Hearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is our ability to detect sound, while listening involves the brain processing, interpreting and remembering the information we hear.
This is where Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) can come into the picture.
Common signs of APD include:
- Difficulty understanding speech, especially in noisy environments.
- Poor memory, attention, concentration.
- Learning challenges.
- Speech and language delays.
- Difficulty following instructions.
Where does ADHD fit in?
ADHD can also affect listening, particularly through differences in attention, working memory and the ability to filter out distractions.
Someone with ADHD might hear an instruction clearly but lose track of it because their attention shifts, or struggle to remember a series of instructions after they’ve been given verbally.
This is one reason APD and ADHD can sometimes look very similar.
For example, a child who doesn’t follow instructions in a busy classroom might be struggling to process the teacher’s voice amongst background noise. Alternatively, they may have heard the instruction but found it difficult to maintain attention and hold the information in working memory.
And sometimes, both can occur together.
When APD and ADHD overlap, listening can become particularly demanding. Background noise, multiple speakers, lengthy instructions and distractions can all increase the amount of mental effort required to understand and remember spoken information.
This can sometimes be mistaken for not listening, being distracted or simply not trying. However the reality may be much more complex.
The bigger picture…
Not every listening difficulty is caused by APD, and not every difficulty with listening is related to ADHD. Language, memory, attention, fatigue and the listening environment can all play a role. That’s why it’s important to look at the bigger picture rather than a single symptom.
If you or your child regularly struggle to understand speech, follow instructions or remember information despite having normal hearing, exploring auditory processing, attention, working memory and language together can provide valuable insight into what is making listening difficult.
