Language-Appropriate Assessment Improves Central Auditory Processing Evaluation of Spanish-English Bilinguals

Although central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) evaluations assess specific auditory skills necessary for efficient processing and understanding of complex auditory signals, many tests included in these evaluations rely heavily on language. This may pose an issue for nonnative English speakers, and it remains unclear how testing in a secondary language may influence clinical assessment and diagnosis. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the impact of test language on CAPD assessment performance in Spanish-English bilingual speakers.

Twenty-five Spanish-English bilingual speakers participated in this repeated-measures study to assess binaural processing performance when evaluated using test materials in their native (Spanish) and secondary (English) languages. Binaural integration and separation were assessed using dichotic digits, competing words, and competing sentences. Participants completed these assessments twice-once in Spanish and once in English. Performance on the binaural tasks was compared between languages to determine if the language used for assessment impacted auditory processing performance.

Performance varied by language for more challenging auditory tasks (i.e., dichotic digits, dichotic words). With English test materials, participants performed more poorly (digits) or demonstrated interaural asymmetries (words) that were not observed with Spanish materials. Increasing age emphasized language differences, revealing interaural asymmetries (digits) and reducing accuracy (words).

These findings suggest that testing Spanish-English bilinguals in only one language may not reflect the complexities involved in bilingual auditory processing. Rather, a bilingual assessment approach (e.g., testing in both native and nonnative languages) may provide richer clinical insight for CAPD assessment, diagnosis, and intervention in bilingual populations.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.30356731.