- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preschoolers today articles
- preschoolers today q&a
- children today articles
- children today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
CAPD
Does My Child Have Central Auditory Processing Disorder?
By Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP
Children who experience CAPD may listen to speech and have a hard time differentiating between words and background noises or may hear words as meaningless utterances. Often within the classroom, these children look confused, may provide the wrong answer or frequently need clarification.
The curriculum demands on children has changed over the years. By the time a child reaches third grade, he or she is required to rely less on visual cues and more on spoken information. It is around this grade level that many children are identified as having CAPD because they can't "keep up" academically with their peers.
Signs and Symptoms
The following is a list of behaviors for children at risk for CAPD (West/Strand, 2000): 
- Difficulty following instructions in the classroom
- Difficulty following multi-step directions
- Difficulty maintaining attention or "daydreaming" in class
- Difficulty discriminating speech in group settings
- Poor memory or sequential memory skills
- Reduced response time
- Academic difficulties in reading, spelling and/or complex math calculations
- Easily distracted in class by either visual or auditory distractions
- Poor self image
- Seems very tired at the end of the school day