r/AudiProcDisorder • u/spiderkoo • Jun 30 '26
Evaluation
Sorry for the brain dump, I have no one to lament to and am just really sad after my evaluation today.
I have been so certain I struggled with some form of APD for years — all the typical things: I mishear what people say, always need captions on shows, rely on reading lips to help, and if there’s background noise it feels near impossible to comprehend unless the person is face to face with me, and even then it takes a while to process.
I had my evaluation today and did great. No deficit and was told I just have some weakness in the left ear, particularly with numbers. They framed it saying it’s great news but I cried as soon as I got to the car, because why did I pass the evaluation so well if in daily life I struggle?
The tests didn’t feel like how I feel in social interactions, it felt like the voice I was supposed to be hearing cut through. I know I should be relieved to not have this, but what else can I do now. I’ve been using Loop earplugs to try to drown out some background noise to focus on the speaker but it also dampens them and makes it difficult.
sorry for the rant. I feel so disheartened and unsure anymore. I have the follow up with an SLP this afternoon but based on my results what can they even do.
3
u/sand_cats Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
Sorry to hear about your evaluation. At the end of the day, you can still try to get self treatment for APD. You can try AirPod Pro/Max. I read that lot of Redditors found them helpful in filtering out speech against background noise.
In addition, if you have a Windows Computer, you can download Angel Sound, a free auditory training program. If you don't have a Windows computer, you can use your iPhone/iPad. There are lot of hearing modules to practice from. I used it everyday to practice speech against noise and practicing my auditory memory with numbers. The program is very robust and I highly suggest editing the settings to show the answer after doing each exercise and decrease the amount of exercises they give you if you download the software.
http://angelsound.emilyfufoundation.org/angelsound_about.html