12/08/2025
People with ADHD often get labeled as “not listening,” but the truth is much more neurologically complex. 💛
Many individuals with ADHD also experience auditory processing disorder (APD) — a difference in how the brain interprets sounds, not how the ears hear them.
This makes verbal instructions hard for two main reasons:
🧠 Working memory challenges
ADHD affects the brain’s ability to hold and manipulate information in the moment. When directions are long, fast, or indirect, the brain may drop pieces before they fully register.
🎧 Auditory processing delays
With APD, the brain needs extra time to decode speech, filter out background noise, and figure out which words matter. So when someone says something once, it may not land in real time — not because the person isn’t paying attention, but because their brain is still processing.
These two conditions often occur together because both involve differences in the brain’s attention and sensory pathways. The result?
Difficulty following multi-step directions, missing parts of conversations, needing things repeated, or appearing “zoned out” during verbal tasks.
It’s not intentional. It’s neurological. And with the right support, tools, and patience, processing becomes so much easier. 💙