Auditory Processing Disorders in children suspected of Learning Disabilities-A need for screening?

Aim: The current study aims to assess: (a) the prevalence of auditory processing in a population of children reporting learning difficulties, (b) the correlation of APD diagnosis with age, the intelligence coefficient (IQ) and with the presence of a specific learning disability such as dyslexia and (c) to evaluate the reliability of each auditory processing test used in this study in identifying APD. Method: We evaluated one hundred and twenty-seven consecutive children referred to the academic tertiary LD Clinic of the Psychiatric Department by means of a psychoacoustic mainly non-verbal test battery. Results: APD was found to be present in 43.3% and co-existing with developmental dyslexia in 25% of cases. The diagnosis of APD correlated with age in that children with APD were younger by 2 years than those without a diagnosis of APD. The diagnosis of APD did not correlate with IQ or with the diagnosis of dyslexia. Interpretation: High prevalence of APD in the targeted group of children suspected of Learning Disabilities sets the grounds for a possible benefit in screening for the disorder. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.