Are there any treatments for CAPD?
How we treat and manage CAPD, once diagnosed, is the most important question patients and parents have. Treatment and management will vary depending on the results of the individual tests in the test battery.
In general, the audiologist will discuss potential options including:
- Use of software programs targeting different auditory training activities – depending on the affected auditory processing skills, different programs are available to remediate and improve performance. Based on the individual’s results from the full assessment, we can recommend and guide you to available programs that will be best-suited.
- Use of assistive devices – in places such as at home, work, or school, different assistive listening devices such as remote microphone systems can help improve the signal against background noise or from distances. This can help with issues from CAPD, and help reduce listening fatigue and frustration.
- Listening and compensatory strategies – our listening environment is a key factor in how efficiently our brain can process and understand sounds. We can recommend strategies that can help in the different listening situations a person with CAPD may struggle in. Even if the presence of a CAPD is not indicated, CAP issues may still present in more complex listening situations. Listening and compensatory strategies can help with these and increase confidence in these situations.
- Further professional evaluations – a multi-disciplinary approach is vital for CAPD, and concerns about behaviour and/or academic performance may warrant referral to other professionals that can assist the individual. Based on the results from the assessment, we can recommend further testing from professionals such as speech-language pathologists, educational psychologists, or occupational therapists.
The National Acoustic Laboratories have identified several management strategies, treatments and assistive devices that can all help a person suffering from CAPD. The selections of strategies and devices will be dependent on the individual’s results and our audiologist will discuss what will best support the individual in question. Depending on which auditory processing skills are affected, treatments and strategies will differ. Many of these are targeted at children but can be equally effective for adults.
Read more about Central Auditory Processing Disorder:
