Short-Term Sentence Memory in Children with Auditory Processing Disorders

Short-Term Sentence Memory in Children with Auditory Processing Disorders Background: Based on the study of Nickisch et al. [1] the 4 discriminatory variables of second-year elementary school-age children with and without APD should now be investigated with respect to the variable "sentence memory". Material and Methods: Retrospective analysis. Sentence memory was tested via the subtest "IS" of the Heidelberger Sprachentwicklungstest [2]. All children were examined with the 4 APD-tests (see results) and the subtest "IS". Participants: n=24 with monosymptomatic APD; n=21 with APD + Specific Language Impairment [SLI]; n=48 contros [developmentally normal]. Results: Mean sentence memory achievement of the clinical groups differed statistically from the control group (p < 0.001). The comparison of mean values in the 4 discriminatory variables in each case revealed distinctly significant differences (p < 0.001) in favour of the control group (word-comprehension in background noise; dichotic word listening; phonological digit span; nonword repetition). Children with APD, by contrast, did not statistically differ in any meaningful in their mean achievement from those with APD+SLI. Between the mean value of the clinical groups and the control group effect sizes d were calculated. The effects were not only statistically significant but also of clinical and practical relevance given that the CI was small. Conclusion: High mean value differences in sentence memory as well as in nonword repetition in children with APD as in those with APD+SLI to normally typically developed control children shed new light on questions regarding a fluent transition between APD and SLI or a comorbid appearance.