![]() ![]() Secondly, there is relative strength and efficiency in the contralateral CNS pathways when compared to the ipsilateral pathways. Auditory processing is a skill much like musical ability: all of us have some aptitude at birth, all of us can improve with training (due, in part, to neural plasticity), but not all of us will reach the same level of proficiency. If there is not agreement on this, many of the remediation techniques are pointless. First, the central auditory nervous system has plasticity, defined as the ability to make organizational changes as a result of internal or external processes. CAP battery.Īnatomy and Physiology: Starting Points Although a detailed description of the anatomy and physiology of the central auditory system is beyond the scope of this article, a few points should be articulated as background. ![]() Indeed, as the term implies, central auditory processing is a lower neurologic function: “Memory, learning, attention, long-term phonological representation, and other higher neurocognitive processes are considered in the definition only as they relate to the processing of acoustic signals.” 2 For this reason, CAP tests which rely heavily on memory of auditory information are not included in the Saint Louis Univ. Note this definition does not include higher cognitive functions, such as memory. ![]() The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Task Force on Central Auditory Processing arrived at this definition of CAP in 1996 1: “Central Auditory Processes are the auditory mechanisms responsible for the following behavioral phenomena: sound localization and lateralization, auditory discrimination, auditory pattern recognition… and temporal aspects of audition, including temporal resolution, temporal integration, temporal masking, temporal ordering…” The ASHA definition also states that CAP can be defined by “auditory performance decrements with competing or degraded acoustic signals.” 1 The opinions and practices expressed are those of the author, who takes sole responsibility for them. As in many areas of hearing care, there is more than one “right” approach to this subject. Although our caseload is comprised exclusively of children to date, these techniques can be modified for use with adults as well. It is hoped this model will serve as a starting point for hearing care professionals interested in working with people who have CAPDs. In this article, the CAP battery and intervention program used in the Department of Communication Disorders at Saint Louis Univ. Further, once the diagnosis is made, the question of appropriate remediation arises. Unfortunately, many hearing care professinals are uncertain what tests should be included in a CAP test battery. Audiologists are also asked about effective strategies for managing CAPDs, with the goal of minimizing the impact of CAPDs on a child’s educational performance. Increasingly, hearing care professionals are called upon to identify and manage patients with suspected CAPDs. ![]() In part, similarities in symptoms between patients with central auditory processing disorders (CAPDs) and those with ADD, ADHD and language disorders may be responsible for the renewed interest in CAPDs. This article details how these deficits can be remediated using a three-pronge approach of skill-building, environmental modifications and compensatory strategies.Ĭentral auditory processing (CAP) disorders are receiving attention from hearing care professionals, parents, physicians, educators and other professionals. The deficits of their CAP can be determined by using a battery of tests with known sensitivity to lesions in various regions of the brain. Individuals with CAPDs comprise a heterogenous group with various processing strengths and weaknesses that influence their auditory learning. ![]()
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