Characterization of types of errors committed in the evaluation of auditory processing through Staggered Spondaic Word test

ABSTRACT:

Purpose:

to characterize the types of errors committed in Staggered Spondaic Words testing by patients undergoing auditory processing evaluation, and correlate these findings with age, gender, educational level and auditory processing disorder (APD) sub-profile.

Methods:

the Staggered Spondaic Words test results were obtained from a private database, which evaluated patients aging from 7 to 19 years, between June 2011 and September 2013.

Results:

the most frequent types of errors detected were: word omission (76.66%), word substitution (45%) and replacement by an adjacent word (20%). The APD sub-profiles observed were auditory decoding deficit coupled with integration deficit (38.33%), auditory decoding deficit (23.33%), normal result (20%), and others (18,34%). When the conditions were compared, we observed a greater number of errors in competing conditions. In relation to age and educational level, the errors occurred in greater number among younger patients with lower levels of educational. The correlation between the total number of errors and gender was not statistically significant.

Conclusion:

the types of errors made in the Staggered Spondaic Words test were characterized and correlated with the proposed variables (gender, age, educational level and APD sub-profile), emphasizing the importance of the test, which is frequently used in auditory processing evaluations for the diagnosis of human communication disorder, and in the identification of children at risk for learning disorders.

KEYWORDS:
Hearing; Central Hearing Loss; Language Development Disorders