Background: Children with hearing loss often exhibit reduced psychosocial status compared to
children with normal hearing. It is reasonable to assume that psychosocial function
may also be affected in children diagnosed with auditory processing disorder (APD).
However, there are no published studies specifically addressing the psychosocial health
of children with APD.
Purpose: This investigation examined relationships between APD and psychosocial status, with
an aim to examine nonauditory factors that may influence quality of life of children
diagnosed with APD.
Research Design: A two-matched group design was employed. Participants and their mothers completed
appropriate versions of the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Project
Charts for Adolescents (COOP-A), the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second
Edition (BASC-2), and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS).
Study Sample: Participants consisted of 19 children (aged 9.5–17.8 yr; mean = 11.9) diagnosed with
APD and 20 gender- and age-matched (mean = 12.8 yr) children with no evidence of APD
by history or audiological assessment. Primary caretakers (mothers) of the participants
also completed psychosocial questionnaires according to their perception of their
participating child's function.
Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected at a single visit, following APD diagnosis. Data from each questionnaire
were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods for two-group comparisons.
Results: Analysis of child reports revealed significantly greater psychosocial difficulty
in the APD group on subscales of the COOP-A and BASC-2. Increased problems in the
APD group were also reported by parents on subscales of the COOP-A, BASC-2, and SSRS.
Eta-squared values for all significant findings indicated moderate to large effect
sizes, suggesting findings may be generalized to other children in this age group.
No between-group differences were found on any subscale for APD children with or without
a confirmed or suspected language disorder.
Conclusion: We found that children with APD exhibit increased psychosocial difficulty in several
areas compared to children without APD.
Key Words
Age effects, auditory processing disorder - Behavioral Assessment System for Children,
Second Edition - Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fourth Edition - Dartmouth
Primary Care Cooperative Information Project Charts for Adolescents - psychosocial
status - Social Skills Rating System
