Does this sound like a diagnosable condition?

[ArseyBustle]

My partner really struggles with saying some words, especially foreign words and names. Even if I break them down into syllables and say them slowly, he repeats them back to me completely wrong. It’s as if he can’t hear the difference at all.

He’s also the most tone-deaf person I’ve ever known - like that little girl who went viral for her nativity play bellowing x 1,000. At school he was never allowed to sing anything, ever.

None of this would matter except that it upsets and frustrates him and he feels stupid.

Does any of this ring any bells with anyone? It goes far beyond the usual “not very good at languages”, and I think he might feel better about himself if he knew why he struggled.

Auditory processing disorder?

Hmm. I’ve just googled auditory processing disorder and it doesn’t sound quite right - seems like there’s some overlap with ADHD symptoms, and DP doesn’t have any of those.

There is a condition called developmental language disorder, and one of the signs for diagnosis is a difficulty in saying or repeating ‘non-words’ (words that your brain doesn’t know already, such as words in a foreign language).

I don’t know of any adults with a diagnosis of DLD, as I think it’s quite a new term, but might be worth looking into?

This sounds a bit like my DH, except he doesn’t care! Coronavirus is a good example, he must have heard it thousands of times over the last 2 years and I have broken it down by syllable but he still says ‘cniverous’, then ‘coniverous’, then gives up.

Has he had his hearing tested? Maybe he can’t hear certain sounds.

I was surprised recently when I had my hearing tested. There was a certain range I just didn’t pick up on (and now have hearing aids).

You can have auditory processing difficulties without it amounting to a disorder. It’s definitely the right terminology for what you’re describing.

Auditory processing difficulties feels like an accurate way of describing DP’s problem.

Is he, or could he be, dyslexic?

My partner (being assessed for adhd if it's relevant) is dyslexic and he does the same thing. It's like it doesn't go in, or does but not properly. His auditory processing is a bit pants as well.

@LadyBadenPowellsHat I don’t think he’s dyslexic - he doesn’t have trouble reading or writing. It’s more like a sort of auditory/verbal dyslexia.

@Chewbecca That’s exactly the sort of thing my partner would struggle with.