Selective attention: psi performance in children with learning disabilities.
Selective attention is essential for learning how to write and read.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to examine the process of selective auditory attention in children with learning disabilities.


METHODS
Group I included forty subjects aged between 9 years and six months and 10 years and eleven months, who had a low risk of altered hearing, language and learning development. Group II included 20 subjects aged between 9 years and five months and 11 years and ten months, who presented learning disabilities. A prospective study was done using the Pediatric Speech Intelligibility Test (PSI).


RESULTS
Right ear PSI with an ipsilateral competing message at speech/noise ratios of 0 and -10 was sufficient to differentiate Group I and Group II. Special attention should be given to the performance of Group II on the first tested ear, which may substantiate important signs of improvements in performance and rehabilitation.


CONCLUSIONS
The PSI - MCI of the right ear at speech/noise ratios of 0 and -10 was appropriate to differentiate Groups I and II. There was an association with the group that presented learning disabilities: this group showed problems in selective attention.
Speech Therapy Department of the Bauru Dentistry College, Sao Paulo University. vlgarcia@uol.com.br
Vera Lúcia
VL
Garcia
Liliane Desgualdo
LD
Pereira
Yotaka
Y
Fukuda
D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests / Q000379:methods*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility / Q000502:physiology*