• Before speaking with the person with auditory processing disorder (APD), make sure you have their full attention, they are facing you and you are in good light.
  • Slow speech down, use short sentences and give the person extra time to process what has been said.
  • Give information in short chunks, one bit at a time.
  • Repeat or rephrase information as necessary.
  • Try to communicate in quieter environments when possible, reducing any background noise. Turn off radio, T.V., noisy equipment etc.
  • Rooms with hard furnishings and an ‘echoing’ environment will present more challenges than a quieter room with softer furnishings to dampen down extraneous sound.
  • Try to ensure, during conversations including several people, that speakers try to:
    • Avoid ‘overlapping’ each other’s speech.
    • Slow down the rate of conversational turn taking.
    • Keep sentences as short and simple as possible.
  • Be sensitive to any difficulties the person with APD may be experiencing. Modify your communication style if they appear to be having difficulty.
  • Writing down information/instructions can be helpful for some people. Advice on augmentative and alternative communication strategies to support verbal understanding may be helpful, especially if the person is also dysphasic.
  • Some people may benefit from auditory training, seek advice from audiology services.