Attention Deficit Disorder Verses Auditory Processing Disorder - A Big Difference

"My child is taking medicine for ADD, but I really don'tcomprise language. In other words, if tested by an
see any difference in him." "Since beginning medicineAudiologist, their middle ears detect auditory signals
for ADHD, my daughter has become very moody andwithout problem. However it is in the transferring of
still has problems with her attention span and focusinginformation to the appropriately targeted areas of the
on what she needs to do." These are but a few ofbrain that holds the problem in this disorder. In APD, the
the comments that can be heard from a parentperson hears what is presented to them, they just lack
whose child has been misdiagnosed with Attentionthe ability to understand the meaning of what is said to
Deficit Disorder (ADD) rather then with the appropriatethem.
diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD).APD is a problem that most often extends itself into
Although symptoms for both ADD and APD canfunctional tasks such as reading, writing, and spelling.
mirror each other, the causation and treatment areMany noted scientists correlate APD as a significant
generally much different. Behaviors or symptoms thatcause of dyslexia. Treatment recommendations for
can be found in either ADD or APD, but not limited to,these disorders may be very different; correct
are as follows: poor attention span, easily distracted,diagnosis is imperative for the outcomes and benefits
difficulty in following directions, disorganized andfor individuals suffering from ADD or APD. ADD
forgetful, poor listening skills, poor academicchildren and APD children may look very similar, but
performance, behavior problems, and problems losingtheir root cause and thus treatment needs are much
things. It should be noted that in some situations, bothdifferent. While attention disorder is primarily treated
disorders do coexist and treatment needs will alsothrough medication, processing disorders can be
need to coexist.treated through scientifically developed programs and
It is believed that attention disorder, or ADD is genetictherapist techniques designed to enhance the way the
and biological in causation. In this disorder, the brain ofbrain transfers information and makes the necessary
the affected person does not secrete the propercorrelations between signal and meaning. Before
amounts of a neurotransmitter known as Dopamine.beginning treatment for ADD, an evaluation by a
Other causations relate to the brain's inability toSpeech/Language Pathologist or Audiologist who is
effectively use the Dopamine that the brain hasexperienced in the diagnosis and treatment of APD
secreted. The most commonly prescribed treatmentmay be valid and beneficial.
for ADD is the use of a stimulate drug designed toIn summary, caution should be made in the diagnosis of
generate more production of Dopamine, still othersAttention Deficit Disorder without the evaluation of a
benefit from drugs which boost the effectiveness ofpossible Auditory Processing Disorder. A team
the natural production of Dopamine. Thus, it is mostapproach to the diagnosis process can be greatly
widely agreed that ADD relates to chemicalbeneficial to treatment outcomes. The causation and
imbalances or chemical deficits in the brain.treatment of ADD and APD vary significantly,
On the other hand, APD occurs when the informationtherefore the determination of both areas of
that one hears is not processed and coordinatedfunctioning should be considered before beginning
correctly in the brain. Several known causes for APDtreatment. There is hope for both ADD children and
are lead poisoning, traumatic brain injury, or frequentAPD children. With correct diagnosis, persons dealing
ear infections during the first two years of a child's life.with the affects of these two disorders can achieve
People with APD most often demonstrate nomore productively and effectively in their pursuit of
problems with hearing spoken language or sounds thatpersonal life goals and ambitions.