APD or CAPD is the same thing. It is a neurological based listening disorder where the ear may hear normally but the brain cannot or does not process the information correctly. It may lead to or be associated with difficulties in higher order language, learning, and communication functions.
The APD battery is not standardized but is a customized specific battery of tests. While some of the tests are site of lesion specific, others are merely assessing the overall function of the system.
Specific recommended therapies will be dependent upon the areas of the auditory pathways that have been affected. Some of the tests that may be utilized include:
Competing Sentences
Measurement of dichotic listening ability.
Staggered Spondaic Words (SSW)
Measurement of the ability to process different messages at the same time.
Dichotic Digits
Measurement of binaural integration which is the ability to process information presented to both ears simultaneously.
Gaps in Noise Test
Designed to measure temporal resolution which refers to the ability to detect changes either in the duration of an auditory stimulus and/or the time intervals or gaps of silence embedded within an auditory stimulus.
Duration Patterns
Assesses duration discrimination, temporal ordering and linguistic labeling.
Phonemic Synthesis
Determines the ability to put sounds together to form words.
Phonemic Synthesis Picture Test
Developed for children from 5-7.
Auditory Continuous Performance Test
Measures the ability to maintain and sustain attention to an auditory task.
Auditory Skills Assessment
An individually administered, criterion-referenced screening tool designed to identify children ages 3 years 6 months through 6 years 11 months at risk for auditory skills deficits that may inhibit their language learning, and academic development.
SCAN-3 Children and Adults
SCAN-3 is a valid and reliable battery of tests to help identify auditory processing disorders in children.
Frequency Pattern Test
Measures temporal ordering, auditory pattern recognition and auditory discrimination.
Masking Level Differences
Presentation of speech stimuli and white noise while varying the phase relationship between the two ears.
Low Pass Filtered Lists
Tests auditory redundancy. Determination of auditory closure and discrimination when a portion of the auditory signal is missing or distorted.