The following has been taken from Oticon, Inc.'s Workbook for Parents of Children who are Newly Identified as Hard of Hearing by Melanie Sisson, Au.D.:
Auditory Processing Problems
Auditory processing refers to what the brain does with the sound once it leaves the nerve of hearing or how the brain makes sense of the sound. There is some research to suggest that auditory processing problems can slow down development in language, learning, reading, speech and success in school. The effects will vary based on the amount of auditory processing difficulty and whether there are problems other than auditory processing present. Auditory processing problems can exist when no hearing loss is present. Auditory processing problems can also exist along with hearing loss- conductive, sensorineural or mixed. When hearing loss is present, it may not be possible to determine which difficulties are caused by auditory processing problems and which are caused by the hearing loss or other factors.