title: A randomized control trial of interventions in school-aged children with auditory processing disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary purpose of the study was to compare intervention approaches for children with auditory processing disorder (APD): bottom-up training including activities focused on auditory perception, discrimination, and phonological awareness, and top-down training including a range of language activities. Another purpose was to determine the benefits of personal FM systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is a randomized control trial where participants were allocated to groups receiving one of the two interventions, with and without personal FM, or to the no intervention group. The six-week intervention included weekly one-hour sessions with a therapist in the clinic, plus 1-2 hours per week of parent-directed homework.
  
  
  METHODS
  55 children (7 to 13 years) with APD participated in the study. Intervention outcomes included reading, language, and auditory processing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive outcomes were observed for both training approaches and personal FM systems on several measures. Pre-intervention nonverbal IQ, age, and severity of APD did not influence outcomes. Performance of control group participants did not change when retested after the intervention period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both intervention approaches were beneficial and there were additional benefits with the use of personal FM. Positive results were not limited to the areas specifically targeted by the interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Linguistics-Audiology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. mridula.sharma@mq.edu.au
authors.forename: Mridula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Suzanne C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D007808:Language Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009520:New Zealand; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011932:Reading; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome