Survey of the diagnosis and management of auditory processing disorder

A survey of audiologists' diagnosis and intervention protocols for auditory processing disorder (APD) was conducted to determine current protocols and compare results with published recommendations.

A survey was distributed by mail to 515 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association audiology members who listed APD as an area of expertise and via e-mail to Educational Audiology Association members. The survey was completed by 195 audiologists.

The majority of respondents reported using auditory processing (AP) test batteries selected based on clinical experience, review of the literature, and attendance at professional conferences. The most popular tests were dichotic, monaural low-redundancy speech, and temporal processing tests. Treatment and management recommendations were usually customized for each patient based on deficits found in behavioral AP testing. The majority of respondents indicated that audiologists are responsible for APD diagnosis (97%) and recommendation of treatment/management (81%); in contrast, only 40% of respondents indicated audiologists were responsible for providing treatment/management.

Audiologists are selecting AP test batteries based on the age and case history of the patient, which is in accordance with recent national guidelines. Audiologists are primarily responsible for APD diagnosis and recommending treatment/management. APD treatment is provided by speech-language pathologists, educators, and audiologists.