title: Association between language development and auditory processing disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is crucial to understand the complex processing of acoustic stimuli along the auditory pathway; comprehension of this complex processing can facilitate our understanding of the processes that underlie normal and altered human communication.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the performance and lateralization effects on auditory processing assessment in children with specific language impairment (SLI), relating these findings to those obtained in children with auditory processing disorder (APD) and typical development (TD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study. Seventy-five children, aged 6-12 years, were separated in three groups: 25 children with SLI, 25 children with APD, and 25 children with TD. All went through the following tests: speech-in-noise test, Dichotic Digit test and Pitch Pattern Sequencing test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effects of lateralization were observed only in the SLI group, with the left ear presenting much lower scores than those presented to the right ear. The inter-group analysis has shown that in all tests children from APD and SLI groups had significantly poorer performance compared to TD group. Moreover, SLI group presented worse results than APD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown, in children with SLI, an inefficient processing of essential sound components and an effect of lateralization. These findings may indicate that neural processes (required for auditory processing) are different between auditory processing and speech disorders.
authors.affiliation: Medicine School, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Nunes
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Rocha-Muniz
authors.affiliation: Psychology Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elaine Cristina
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Zachi
authors.affiliation: Psychology Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosani Aparecida Antunes
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Psychology Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dora Fix
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.affiliation: Medicine School, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Debora Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Befi-Lopes
authors.affiliation: Medicine School, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schochat
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests