Screening of auditory processing disorder in children with learning disabilities using the Persian version of the auditory processing domains questionnaire

Abstract

Background and Aim: Auditory processing dis­order (APD), as a sensory processing defect, can be comorbid with other disorders such as lear­ning disability (LD). LD has shown a greater likelihood of comorbidity with APD. Therefore, the deficits associated with APD needs to be identified in children with LD. Given the high likelihood of APD comorbidity in children with LD, this study aimed to screen for APD in 8−12-year-old children with LD using the Persian auditory processing domains questio­nnaire (APDQ-P). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, APDQ-P was administered on 250 normal children with a mean (SD) age of 10 (1.48) years old (153 girls and 97 boys), and 110 children with LD with a mean (SD) age of 9 (1.92) years old (40 girls and 61 boys). After obtaining the cut-off point, the scores of the two groups were compared by a t-test in 5 age categories. Finally, we calculated the number of children with suspected APD using APDQ-P. Results: There was a significant difference bet­ween the scores of LD and normal group in all subscales including auditory processing, language and attention. About 75% of LD chil­dren failed in auditory processing, 86% in atten­tion skills, and 82% in language skills. Conclusion: A significant proportion of children with LD were suspected of APD, which could be indicative of a high likelihood of comorbidity of APD in children with LD. More accurate iden­tification of the degree and type of APD in these children requires central auditory diagno­stic tests. Keywords: Questionnaire; auditory processing disorder; screening; learning disability