Auditory proccessing rehabilitation

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a neurological condition in which the ears can detect the sound, but the brain has difficulty interpreting and making sense of what it hears. People with APD especially struggle in situations where there is competing background noise, rapid speech, or when instructions are long or complex. The issue is not hearing volume—it is hearing clarity. The brain has trouble filtering, organising, and prioritising sound, which can make everyday listening mentally exhausting.

APD often “sounds” like everyone is mumbling or speaking too fast. Speech becomes jumbled, unclear, and easily masked by even mild background noise—like dishes, airflow, or other voices. Words blend together, and it may feel like you’re constantly “filling in the gaps” or asking for repetition. Busy environments can be overwhelming, and the listener may withdraw or avoid conversations. With hearing aids, volume and certain sound cues can become easier to detect, which can help in specific listening situations. However, hearing aids alone do not fix APD because they amplify sound but cannot fully solve the brain-based processing problem. Best outcomes usually occur when hearing aids are combined with auditory training, communication strategies, and environmental adjustments to improve clarity and listening confidence. 

Think of treating a Hearing loss for a client that is still struggling with some Auditory processing issues like having a knee, shoulder, or hip replacement treatment.  You know that while choosing an excellent surgeon is critical, the surgery itself is the easy part. The real challenge is the recovery, which requires six to ten weeks of physical therapy to strengthen the muscles, joints, and ligaments surrounding the new joint. If you skip rehab, you rarely achieve full recovery and often face long-term problems.

Treating hearing loss works the same way. Just as you must choose a great surgeon for a successful joint replacement, you must choose a highly skilled hearing care professional who follows comprehensive audiologic best practices to give you the best chance of hearing your best with prescription hearing aids. However, even the most advanced and expensive hearing aids will not deliver maximum results without auditory training, it strengthens the joint area. Auditory training strengthens the brain’s ability to process sound—particularly in background noise and when listening to fast talkers. The challenge is that most people don’t have easy access to a professional who can provide structured auditory training. 

This is where app-based programs like LACE Ai Pro come in. LACE (Listening and Communication Enhancement) has been the most tested and clinically validated auditory training method since its development in 2006 by Drs. Robert Sweetow and Jennifer Sabes, supported by more than 20 years of research and over 80 peer-reviewed studies and clinical trials.

LACE Ai Pro targets four core listening skills:

     1. Speech-in-noise training to improve understanding in noisy situations

     2. Working memory to improve processing speed and comprehension of rapid speech
 

     3. Speech reading to enhance use of visual cues
 

     4. Communication strategies
 

Research shows LACE can improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by up to 6 dB, which can mean roughly a 60% improvement in speech understanding in noise. These benefits are long-lasting.

Originally available only on DVD, LACE is now delivered through the LACE Ai Pro app by Neurotone Ai. The app is available exclusively from LACE Ai Pro Certified Hearing Care Centres, (at the time of writing this article October 2025 AIM Hearing was the ONLY certified clinic in the Bundaberg area) and a one-time license provides lifetime access, including all future updates.

After purchasing a license from AIM Hearing (or another certified clinic), you receive an Apple or Android download link. You sign in using your mobile number, and an avatar guides setup. You can customise your training topics—such as culture, education, fun facts, health, jokes, trivia, and philosophy—and complete 30 training exercises ranging from easy to challenging speech-in-noise scenarios. Each session takes 10–20 minutes, and the home screen shows your streak, progress, rewards, assessments, achievements, and training time.

A major new feature is My Voices, which lets you train using the voice of a familiar communication partner—ideal if there is someone you particularly struggle to understand.

Clinics can also monitor your LACE Speech-in-Noise score, similar to a QuickSIN. Lower scores are better:

• 0–3 dB: Normal hearing in noise 
• 3–7 dB: Mild difficulty 
• 7–15 dB: Moderate difficulty 
• 15+ dB: Severe difficulty
   

Since a 6 dB improvement is possible, and each 1 dB equals roughly a 10% noise-hearing improvement, the potential gains are substantial. The app provides real-time feedback, endless training content, and gamified motivation. Most users notice significant improvement after one month of consistent training.

Even those with hidden hearing loss, auditory processing disorder, or central processing disorder—and no hearing aids—can benefit, as the training improves the brain’s processing ability. However, if measurable hearing loss is present, hearing aids should be fitted before beginning training to maximise benefit.

While in-person auditory training (Specialist Audiologist or Speech Pathologist) can be very effective, it is far more expensive and is not performed daily. A lifetime LACE Ai Pro license is only $499, But you must be willing as you commit to 10–20 minutes a day for 30 days. (They recommend 30 days on- 30 days off)

In short, LACE Ai Pro is one of the most effective, affordable, and underrated ways to significantly improve your hearing—with or without hearing aids—which is why it remains one of the world’s most widely used auditory training programs.

I would like you to do your own due diligence and research "Lace Ai Pro" on Google and YouTube and after that if you believe that this Auditory training is something you would be committed to do, please schedule a 30 minute appointment to discuss with me whether Lace Ai Pro is right for you.

You have everything to gain and nothing to lose when it comes to this to give you the absolute best chance of improving the quality of you and your families quality of life when it comes to communication difficulties.