title: A long-term follow-up of children and adolescents referred for assessment of auditory processing disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether young adults (between 18 and 30 years at the time of the project) who were assessed for auditory processing disorder (APD) in childhood (between 7 and 16 years) experience persistence of listening and communication difficulties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed a mixed methods questionnaire focusing on common areas of complaint in APD and two open-ended questions exploring participants' past and present experiences with listening and communication difficulties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven of the 722 potential participants returned completed questionnaires, of whom 66 had been diagnosed with APD (APD group) at the time of their auditory processing assessment and 31 had not met diagnostic criteria (NAPD group) at that time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Substantial commonality was noted in the reported listening and communication difficulties between the APD and NAPD participants. Volunteered comments aggregated into four major content themes which included: listening and communication difficulties; participants' sense of self; change; and participation. Members of the APD group reported greater communication difficulty than NAPD group members, irrespective of environmental listening conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young adults with a prior referral for, and in some cases a diagnosis of, APD as children continue to experience auditory processing difficulties across a range of daily situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Zoppo
authors.forename: Linnett
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lind
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Auditory processing; adults; auditory processing disorder; persistence of disorder