How to Help the Person with Auditory Processing Disorder
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.