title: Auditory training program for Arabic-speaking children with auditory figure-ground deficits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Listening to speech in noise makes up a great challenge for school children with auditory processing disorders mainly those with deficit in auditory figure ground (AFG) ability. These children are candidates for auditory training programs targeting AFG such as noise-desensitization programs. This work aimed to develop a new training material in Arabic language targeting this ability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A noise-desensitization semi-formal training program was developed and standardized on normal children in a pilot study preceding the main one. Seventeen school children with AFG deficit were submitted to the program for eight weeks then reevaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The paired sample t-test revealed significant improvement of all trained children after training period in their psychophysical and electrophysiological results. The electrophysiological threshold of signal to noise ratio decreased from -5.3dB to -11.3dB after training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The newly developed training material revealed efficacy in managing children with AFG deficit. The other affected auditory abilities improved also because of the multi-ability tapping character of the program.
authors.affiliation: Audiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt. Electronic address: mohammad.ramadan71@ymail.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ramadan
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hassaan
authors.affiliation: Audiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ola Abdallah
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ibraheem
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise; D010865:Pilot Projects; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
keywords: Auditory figure-ground; Auditory processing; Noise-desensitization