Psychometric profile of children with auditory processing disorder and children with dyslexia.

Journal article

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to address the controversy that exists over the extent to which auditory processing disorder (APD) is a separate diagnostic category with a distinctive psychometric profile, rather than a reflection of a more general learning disability. METHODS: Children with an APD diagnosis (N=25) were compared with children with dyslexia (N=19) on a battery of standardised auditory processing, language, literacy and non-verbal intelligence quotient measures as well as parental report measures of communicative skill and listening behaviour. A follow-up of a subset of children included a parent report screening questionnaire for Asperger syndrome (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test). RESULTS: There were similarly high levels of attentional, reading and language problems in both groups. One peculiarity of the APD group was a discrepancy between parental report of poor communication and listening skill disproportionate to expectations based on standardised test performance. Follow-up assessment suggested high levels of previously unrecognised autistic features within the APD group. CONCLUSIONS: Children diagnosed by audiological experts as having APD are likely to have broader neurodevelopmental disorders and would benefit from evaluation by a multidisciplinary team.

Authors: Dawes, P; Bishop, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
• Journal: Archives of disease in childhood
• Volume: 95
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 432-436
• Publication date: 2010-06-01
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.2009.170118
• EISSN: 1468-2044
• ISSN: 0003-9888
• Language: English
• Keywords: Child; Psychometrics; Comorbidity; Diagnosis, Differential; Neuropsychological Tests; Dyslexia; Male; Humans; Communication; Auditory Perceptual Disorders; Reproducibility of Results; Female