Screening for Auditory Processing Disorder in French-Speaking School-Age Children: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Existing auditory processing disorder (APD) screening tools are predominantly in English.
• This limits the ability to screen non-native English speakers for APD.
• There is a need for culturally and linguistically appropriate screening methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a French-language screening test battery for APD.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of this new screening tool.
• To assess its effectiveness in identifying school-aged children at risk for APD.

Main Methods:

• A screening test battery comprising four behavioral subtests and two questionnaires (parent and teacher) was administered.
• The study included 53 children aged 7-12 years undergoing audiological APD assessment.
• The screening tool was administered prior to the full APD evaluation.

Main Results:

• A combination of two behavioral subtests demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy.
• These subtests achieved 100% sensitivity in detecting children at risk for APD.
• A specificity of 80% was observed for these two subtests.

Conclusions:

• The developed French APD screening tool shows potential for early identification of at-risk children.
• It may help reduce unnecessary full APD assessments.
• Early diagnosis facilitated by this tool can lead to timely interventions for children with APD.