Developing the auditory processing domains questionnaire (APDQ): a differential screening tool for auditory...

The aim of this study was to develop a screening questionnaire for auditory processing disorder (APD).

Fifty-two questions were created to enable parent/teacher proxies to rate students listening skills in terms of auditory processing, attention and language factors.

Parents rated their child's frequency of competent performance (regularly, often, sometimes or rarely) on 52 questions. Scores were calculated for three scales: auditory processing, attention and language. Data was collected from 198 normal controls, 20 students with auditory processing disorder, 40 students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 10 students with a learning disability. Subjects were split into a younger group (7-10 y) and an older group (11-17 y).

Factor analysis revealed substantial internal validity. Analysis of external validity using a regression model revealed significant differences between normal and clinical groups for all scales (p < 0.001) and also significantly separated the three clinical groups. A group differential analysis of scale score results clearly demonstrated inter-group differences at 89% (on average) sensitivity and specificity levels.

The auditory processing domains questionnaire appears to be an effective screening questionnaire for APD with scale score patterns likely to be helpful in making appropriate clinical referrals.