Dig Deeper if Treating a Child With Suspected APD

Editor’s note: In response to our recent School Matters column, “Don’t Wait to Diagnose Auditory Processing Disorder,” the Leader is presenting a series of blog posts sharing different views on the validity of APD as a specific diagnosis. The first in this series appeared April 27 and was written by Andrew Vermiglio, AuD, CCC-A: “Does Auditory Processing Disorder Meet the Criteria for a Legitimate Clinical Entity?” This is the second in the series. In recent years, I’ve noticed an increase in research on the diagnosis and treatment of auditory processing disorders (APD)—also known as central auditory processing disorders or CAPD. Many studies confirm the lack of validity of APD as a stand-alone diagnosis. The American Journal of Audiology, for example, published an article by David DeBonis, “It Is Time to Rethink Central Auditory Processing Disorder Protocols for School-Aged Children.” In this article, DeBonis pointed out numerous inconsistencies involved in APD testing, concluding that “routine use of APD test protocols cannot be supported” and that APD “intervention needs to be contextualized and functional.” The APD controversy has been going on for years, with no end in sight, so speech-language pathologists will continue to treat students diagnosed with APD. I hope to share some useful suggestions for SLPs serving students with suspected APD. Students diagnosed with “APD” present with legitimate symptomatology—usually issues with proces...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Audiology Speech-Language Pathology Language Disorders Schools Source Type: blogs