Question
How young can auditory processing disorder (APD) be identified in children?
Answer
There’s debate about the answer to this question. The 2010 AAA Clinical Guidelines suggest that a young age limit of 7 to 8 years because normative data are limited for younger ages and because of concerns about immature cognitive status and its possible impact on test performance. Many audiologists follow those suggestions.
I take a different approach. Based on application of available procedures, including auditory evoked responses as needed, it’s certainly possible to rule out or strongly suspect APD in children as young as 5 years old. An abbreviated test battery can be used in kindergarten children including the SCAN, SSW, Test of Auditory Discrimination, Pediatric Speech Intelligibility test, and others. Then, children with suspected APD can be followed closely for academic progress and reading skills, and other assessments (e.g., language) can be scheduled. At the very least, peripheral auditory assessment often reveals conductive hearing loss that might be medically treated or sensorineural hearing loss that can be audiologically managed. FM technology is sometimes very helpful in young children with below-normal performance on APD tests. We do know that early intervention for APD is most effective, and effective management can minimize or eliminate secondary psychosocial and academic problems.
Dr. Hall was Guest Editor for AudiologyOnline’s Webinar Series on Auditory Processing Disorders. Register here to view the courses in the series.
