Assessment
A full case history and the diagnostic tests your situation calls for: otoscopy, pure tone audiometry with bone conduction, middle ear assessment, and speech testing where appropriate. Longer appointments mean nothing is rushed.
Auditory Processing
APD Assessment
Specialist auditory processing disorder (APD) assessment in London for children and adults, using the Buffalo Model test battery and ending in a comprehensive written report suitable for schools, GPs, universities and workplaces, delivered in clinic or online.
The short answer
What this treatment is
An APD assessment investigates how the brain processes what the ears hear. Using the Buffalo Model developed by Professor Jack Katz, we run a structured test battery including the Staggered Spondaic Word test, W-22 and Phonemic Synthesis, alongside SSQ12 and HADS questionnaires, and produce a comprehensive written report with practical recommendations.
At your first appointment we take the time to find out what is really going on.
Appointments are longer here by design. Your audiologist takes a full history, examines your ears, and runs the tests your situation actually calls for, going beyond standard pure tone audiometry where needed.
Results are explained clearly on the day, and you leave with a personalised plan: whether that is treatment, monitoring, a referral, or the reassurance that your hearing is normal.
An APD assessment can help to:
Explain listening struggles that hearing tests miss
When speech in noise is a daily battle but the audiogram looks normal, families and adults are often left without answers. The Buffalo Model battery investigates the processing itself, not just detection.
Identify the specific profile
APD is not one difficulty. Mapping results to the DEC, TFM, INT and ORG profiles describes the actual pattern, whether that is decoding speech sounds, holding on to what was heard, or integrating and organising it.
Secure the right support at school or work
The comprehensive written report is written to be used: by schools, GPs, universities and workplaces. Recommendations are matched to the profile, so the adjustments requested are the ones that will actually help.
Separate APD from hearing loss
Because the pathway starts with a comprehensive hearing assessment, you know whether the difficulty is detection, processing, or both, and each part is addressed on its own evidence.
Plan therapy on evidence, not hope
Where results support it, computer-based auditory training follows, typically 20 sessions of 20 to 30 minutes, with progress reviewed. Where they do not, we say so, and recommend the strategies the findings actually justify.
What can be treated?
APD is assessed, not guessed: the battery separates auditory processing difficulty from hearing loss and describes the specific pattern behind everyday listening struggles.
- Auditory processing disorder (APD)
- Difficulty hearing speech in background noise
- Listening difficulties at school or work
- Trouble following spoken instructions
Our APD audiologist
Once again I am truly grateful for Dayna's expertise. Again, £75.00 well spent. Dayna is still the calm, friendly, kind and skilled professional she was when I last saw her. I am always apprehensive about the process of ear microsuction but I needn't have been. The procedure was comfortable and pain free. The results are great.
Read on Google
The audiologist who treated me was absolutely top drawer. Her name was Dayna and she gave me an appointment the same day and removed a considerable amount of wax from both of my ears using microsuction.
Read on Google
Dayna was fantastic! Knowledgeable, reassuring and efficient. Highly recommend her practice and would definitely return.
Read on Google
Cannot recommend highly enough. The service is excellent and the audiologists are extremely proficient. Will not go anywhere else in future.
Read on Google
APD assessment fees and insurance
Our fees are published and explained before you book, and every recommendation is independent: we are not tied to any hearing aid manufacturer or sales target. We are registered providers for major private medical insurers, and we supply the reports and invoices your insurer needs.
- Registered provider for Bupa, AXA, Aviva, WPA, Vitality and Healix
- Self-pay welcome: comprehensive hearing assessments from £120
- Detailed reports and invoices provided for insurance claims
- A £30 booking fee applies at our Soho and Canary Wharf clinics
What to expect
at Clearly Hearing
Everything starts with a thorough, unhurried assessment. We find the underlying cause, explain what we found, and agree a personalised plan with you, then stay alongside you with follow-up and aftercare.
Explanation
Your audiologist walks you through the results on the day, in plain English. Whether we identify a problem or can reassure you that your hearing is normal, you leave understanding what is happening and why.
Personalised plan
Independent, evidence-based recommendations built around your hearing, lifestyle and budget: treatment, hearing technology, onward referral, or monitoring. We are not tied to any manufacturer, so the advice is yours, not a quota.
Aftercare
Care continues after your appointment: follow-up visits, fine-tuning, repairs and reviews, plus reports for GPs, ENT consultants, schools and insurers where needed. Our aim is the long-term outcome, not the transaction.
Our focus is clinical outcomes, not retail sales. Clearly Hearing is an independent clinic: no manufacturer ties, no sales targets, and appointments long enough to listen properly, investigate thoroughly and explain everything in plain English.
- Rated 5.0 from 61 Google reviews at our East Dulwich clinic.
- Led by Dr Dayna Edwin, Au.D, HCPC-registered with over 15 years of clinical experience across NHS and private audiology.
- Three London locations: East Dulwich, Soho and Canary Wharf, with home visits and online appointments across London.
We specialise in:
- Comprehensive diagnostic hearing assessments for adults and children
- Independent hearing aid selection, fitted and verified with Real Ear Measurements
- Auditory processing disorder (APD) assessment using the Buffalo Model
- Tinnitus and hyperacusis assessment and management
- Balance and dizziness (vestibular) assessment
- Paediatric audiology, including glue ear and listening difficulties
- Hearing aid repairs, reprogramming and aftercare for all major brands
- Home visits and online appointments across London
3 Locations
APD assessments across our three London clinics
- East Dulwich Inside Oru Space, 20-22 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HN View location →
- Soho Inside UNTIL, 111-119 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DU View location →
- Canary Wharf Inside UNTIL, 30 South Colonnade, E14 5HX View location →
Written and medically reviewed byDr Dayna Edwin, Founder & Clinical Director · Doctor of Audiology (Au.D) · HCPC-registered · Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC); British Society of Audiology.
FAQ
FAQs
What is auditory processing disorder (APD)?
APD is difficulty processing what you hear despite ears that often test normally: speech in background noise is hard to follow, instructions get lost, and listening is exhausting. It affects an estimated 3 to 5 per cent of the population, and its signs can look like inattention, particularly in children.
My hearing test was normal. Could I still have APD?
Yes. APD is about how the brain processes sound, not how well the ears detect it, so standard hearing tests are often normal. Difficulty hearing speech in background noise without hearing loss is common, especially in teenagers and younger people, and it is exactly what a structured APD battery investigates.
What does the Buffalo Model assessment involve?
Developed by Professor Jack Katz, the Buffalo Model uses a structured battery including the Staggered Spondaic Word test, W-22 word recognition and Phonemic Synthesis, supported by SSQ12 and HADS questionnaires. Results are mapped to four profiles, DEC, TFM, INT and ORG, which describe the pattern of difficulty and guide support.
Can the APD assessment be done online?
Yes, online delivery is available over secure video, which suits families outside London and adults balancing work. You will need a quiet room and a reliable connection, and we confirm the practical details when you book. The written report you receive is the same whether testing happens in clinic or online.
What happens after the assessment?
You receive a comprehensive written report suitable for schools, GPs, universities and workplaces, with recommendations matched to your profile. Where therapy is appropriate, we offer computer-based auditory training, typically 20 sessions of 20 to 30 minutes, and we review progress with you. Nothing is prescribed that the results do not support.
Related Treatments
Get Started
Ready to begin?
Book today.
Clearly Hearing • 20-22 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London SE22 8HN
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks