Screening of central auditory processing in schoolchildren online: performance of schoolchildren in the initial years of elementary education

Abstract

The influence of hearing skills on school performance reflects the need for auditory screening in school children, for this there is a need for a rapid instrument that effectively evaluates the main auditory abilities, which ensures an adequate selection of the individuals that should be referred to diagnostic services, reducing unnecessary referrals. The current project aims to analyze the results obtained in an online hearing abilities screening program, applied in school children aged 6 to 8 years old, and compare with the school performance and with the performance in diagnostic procedures from central Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). Initially will be realised an pilot study in which the screening will be applied in 15 children among six and eigth years old for analysis about the need to adjustments in screening tool. The project will be developed in two stages. The first stage will consist in the screening in school children in a public schools, located in Campinas-SP city, performed with a online screening program composed of questionnaires and test to assess the abilities of temporal resolution, ordering, background figure, auditory closure and sound localization. In the second stage, the children will be assessed in the Audiology Laboratory of the Center for Studies and Research in Rehabilitation Prof. Gabriel Porto (CEPRE/FCM/UNICAMP), through the basic audiological evaluation and behavioral evaluation of central auditory processing. The results will be analyzed by a statistician. The hearing screening program is expected to identify students at risk for APD by collaborating for rapid intervention and rehabilitation. (AU)