Prevalence and remediation of spatial processing disorder (SPD) in Indigenous children in regional Australia.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of spatial processing disorder (SPD) in the Indigenous Australian population and the benefit of and logistical issues arising from remediation of the disorder.


METHODS
Participants were assessed for SPD with the Listening in Spatialized Noise - Sentences test (LiSN-S). Participants diagnosed with SPD were instructed to use the LiSN & Learn auditory training software until 100 games had been completed.


METHODS
Participants were 144 Indigenous Australian children (aged between 6;0 [years;months] and 12;2).


RESULTS
Ten participants (6.9%) presented with SPD. Nine took part in the auditory training study. Post-training LiSN-S performance improved on average by 0.9 population standard deviations (1.4 dB). There was a significant correlation (r = 0.71, p = 0.031, η(2) = 0.51) between total number of LiSN & Learn games played (mean = 65, SD = 27) and improvement in LiSN-S performance. Teachers rated all participants as improving in their listening abilities post-intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of SPD in the Indigenous Australian population. LiSN & Learn training is effective in remediating SPD in this population and is considered a beneficial intervention by teachers, however improvement in spatial processing is dependent on training program uptake.
National Acoustic Laboratories , Sydney , Australia.
Sharon
S
Cameron
Harvey
H
Dillon
Helen
H
Glyde
Sujita
S
Kanthan
Anna
A
Kania
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment; D060345:Education of Persons with Hearing Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D065855:Spatial Processing; D013067:Speech Perception; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test