Auditory Processing Differences

Ever been in a restaurant and felt like you couldn’t follow the conversation at your table because of all the background noise? Or asked someone to repeat themselves multiple times, even though you know your hearing is fine? You might be experiencing auditory processing differences.

This isn’t about your ears not working — they could be picking up sound perfectly. It’s about how your brain sorts through and makes sense of all that sound information. Think of it like having a really sensitive microphone that picks up everything equally, without a good filter to separate what’s important from what’s just noise.

You might notice this if you:

• Can’t filter out background noise — The hum of the air conditioner feels just as loud as someone talking to you
• Need extra time to process spoken information — Someone gives you directions and you need them to slow down or repeat it
• Feel overwhelmed in noisy places — Coffee shops, open offices, or busy hallways make you want to escape
• Mishear things regularly — You hear the words but they don’t quite make sense the first time

This experience is super common among neurodivergent folks, especially those of us with autism or ADHD. It’s not a sign that you’re not paying attention or that you’re less intelligent — your brain is just processing all that sound information differently.

The good news? Once you understand what’s happening, you can find ways to make your environment work better for you. Noise-cancelling headphones, written instructions instead of verbal ones, or simply knowing that you might need to ask for clarification — these small adjustments can make a huge difference.