What Is the Difference Between ADD & CAPD?

In recent decades, the medical community has made great strides in the recognition of learning disabilities in children. A century ago, a child might have been strapped for inattentiveness or "lack of application," while today we recognize the symptoms of a learning disorder. Attention deficit disorder and auditory processing disorder result in similar learning and behavioral issues, and can be difficult for parents and teachers to tell apart.

Auditory Processing Disorder

• Auditory Processing Disorder, also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), is estimated to affect between three and five percent of children. Most forms of hearing loss occur in the ear, but with CAPD the problem is brain's reduced ability to process auditory signals. Diagnosis requires testing by a qualified audiologist, as CAPD will not be detected during ordinary hearing examinations. The causes of CAPD are poorly understood, though correlations have been made with difficult births, head injuries and recurrent ear infections, among other risk factors.

Effects of CAPD

• Children and adults with CAPD may display a range of symptoms, depending on each patient's specific neurological deficit. Symptoms of CAPD include speaking loudly or listening to the television at a higher than usual volume; asking others to repeat themselves frequently; apparently ignoring others, especially if engrossed in another activity; difficulty following a sequence of verbal instructions; hearing better when able to see the speaker; difficulty understanding what is said in a noisy environment; and difficulty understanding rapid speech. Since most symptoms are similar to conventional hearing loss, attention deficit disorder and autism, only professional diagnosis can correctly identify CAPD.

Attention Deficit Disorder

• Attention deficit disorder, also known as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADD, or ADHD), affects about five percent of all children. The disorder manifests itself in three ways: inattentiveness, or inability to focus; a consistent tendency to act impulsively and without forethought; and unusually high levels of activity. Hyperactive and impulsive characteristics are usually found together. The inattentive variation of the disorder may be found alone, or in conjunction with the other two. The causes of ADD are still unclear, but low levels of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are thought to be a significant factor.

Differences and Similarities in Children with CAPD and ADD/ADHD

• Children with CAPD are often misdiagnosed with ADD, because they appear inattentive and unfocused. Children with both disorders show difficulty learning in noisy environments; children with ADD because they are distracted, and children with CAPD because they have trouble hearing and decoding the teacher's voice. Depending on the site of their neurological deficit, children with CAPD may also experience difficulty with written and spoken word recognition, or may express themselves poorly when speaking to others. A trained audiologist can diagnose CAPD with some reliability, while ADD may only be deduced from empirical observation.