[Short-term sentence memory in children with auditory processing disorders]

Based on the study of Nickisch et al. [1] the 4 discriminatory variables of second-year elementary school-age children with and without APD should now be investigated with respect to the variable "sentence memory".

Retrospective analysis. Sentence memory was tested via the subtest "IS" of the Heidelberger Sprachentwicklungstest [2]. All children were examined with the 4 APD-tests (see results) and the subtest "IS".

n=24 with monosymptomatic APD; n=21 with APD + Specific Language Impairment [SLI]; n=48 controls [developmentally normal].

Mean sentence memory achievement of the clinical groups differed statistically from the control group (p<0.001). The comparison of mean values in the 4 discriminatory variables in each case revealed distinctly significant differences (p<0.001) in favour of the control group (word-comprehension in background noise; dichotic word listening; phonological digit span; nonword repetition). Children with APD, by contrast, did not statistically differ in any meaningful in their mean achievement from those with APD + SLI. Between the mean value of the clinical groups and the control group effect sizes d were calculated. The effects were not only statistically significant but also of clinical and practical relevance given that the CI was small.

High mean value differences in sentence memory as well as in nonword repetition in children with APD as in those with APD + SLI to normally typically developed control children shed new light on questions regarding a fluent transition between APD and SLI or a comorbid appearance.