Behavioral Characteristics of Auditory Processing Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Predominantly Inattentive Type

Auditory processing disorder (APD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) present overlapping symptomatology. Previous research has demonstrated that professionals use different behavioral descriptors to characterize APD and ADHD combined and predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtypes, which present with hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. The present study extends this research by comparing audiologists' and pediatricians' rankings of 58 behavioral symptoms associated with APD and ADHD predominantly inattentive (PI) subtype, the ADHD subtype that presents without hyperactivity and impulsivity. Audiologists ranked the degree to which each symptom pertained to individuals with APD, and pediatricians ranked the same symptom as it relates to ADHD-PI. Item analysis revealed that respondents identified a reasonably exclusive set of behaviors characterizing APD and ADHD-PI. None of the four behaviors ranked 2 SD above the grand means (i.e., inattention, academic difficulties, asking for things to be repeated, and poor listening skills) was ranked in common.

Key Words

Attention-deficit disorder - auditory processing disorder - differential diagnosis