Date of Award

Spring 2013

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Audiology (AuD)

Department

School of Communication

First Advisor

Sheryl Shoemaker

Abstract

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine if children with (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder have better word recognition abilities for monosyllabic words under monaural speech-in-noise conditions than binaural speech-in-noise conditions. Fifteen participants, five females and ten males, ages 8-10 years, were included in this study. There were 7 children placed in the experimental group with a diagnosis of (C) APD identified from the Louisiana Tech University Speech and Hearing Center. There were 8 typically developing children placed in the control group. Each participant had pure-tone thresholds of 0-20 dB HL for 250-8000 Hz bilaterally. The SCAN-3 for children, the SSW, and the SAAT tests were used to confirm or deny the presence of an auditory processing disorder. Each participant received fifteen word lists in all three test conditions (right, left, and binaural) and all SNRs (+8 dB, +6 dB, +4 dB, +2 dB, and 0 dB) in each test condition. It was hypothesized that children with (C) APD would have better word recognition abilities for monosyllabic words under monaural speech-in-noise conditions than binaural speech-in-noise conditions. It was also hypothesized that children with normal auditory processing abilities would perform significantly better in all conditions compared to (C) APD children. The results revealed that the mean percentage correct was higher for the control group at each SNR (+8 dB, +6 dB, +4 dB, +2 dB, and 0 dB) in each condition (right, left, and binaural). Overall, the control and experimental groups did best in the binaural condition at all SNRs; however, the control group performed significantly better than the experimental group in all conditions. The control and experimental groups did better in the right monaural condition than the left monaural condition at all SNRs. The control group performed better in the right monaural condition than the experimental group in the binaural condition at all SNRs.

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