Developing the auditory processing domains questionnaire (APDQ): a differential screening tool for auditory processing disorder

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a screening questionnaire for auditory processing disorder (APD). Design: Fifty-two questions were created to enable parent/teacher proxies to rate students listening skills in terms of auditory processing, attention and language factors. Study sample: Parents rated their child’s frequency of competent performance (regularly, often, sometimes or rarely) on 52 questions. Scores were calculated for three scales: auditory processing, attention and language. Data was collected from 198 normal controls, 20 students with auditory processing disorder, 40 students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 10 students with a learning disability. Subjects were split into a younger group (7–10 y) and an older group (11–17 y). Results: Factor analysis revealed substantial internal validity. Analysis of external validity using a regression model revealed significant differences between normal and clinical groups for all scales (p < 0.001) and also significantly separated the three clinical groups. A group differential analysis of scale score results clearly demonstrated inter-group differences at 89% (on average) sensitivity and specificity levels. Conclusion: The auditory processing domains questionnaire appears to be an effective screening questionnaire for APD with scale score patterns likely to be helpful in making appropriate clinical referrals.