[Auditory Processing Disorder: Is The Diagnosis Already Possible In First Graders?]

OBJECTIVE: Significant differences in performance on an eclectic German test battery for Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) was found in the most diagnostic tools between children with APD and controls in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th school year of primary education. Aim of the present study was to examine whether it is also the case for first graders.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The performance in the behavioral test battery (including 14 specific auditory tests) was compared in two subject groups (aged 6-8 yrs): 41 first graders with APD of a clinical database, 37 typically developing first graders without APD (controls).

RESULTS: Significant mean group differences were detected in the performance on 12 of 14 tests, because children with APD showed lower scores (excepted from two PaTsy-subtests: sound frequencies; sound intensities). The significance concerning the monaural threshold values narrowly retained statistical significance with Bonferroni correction. The controls mastered the PaTsy-subtests only in 86-89 % of all cases, children with APD in 73-83 %. The test scores of both boys and girls with APD were lower than those of their peers without APD.

CONCLUSIONS: First graders with versus without APD could be significantly distinguished. Generally, there was seen a trend that in first graders the same performance was reduced as in elementary school pupils of higher grade level. For use in clinical diagnosis of APD, nonverbal auditory tests for the investigated specific age segment appears debatable.