Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) in Children: Guide

Case history

A detailed case history is important to obtain a 360° view of a child’s development and functioning in real life as well as the support that is already in place.  It facilitates decisions around the assessment and support that a child may need (including onward referral to another professional), offers a backdrop against which test results can be interpreted, helps differentiate between primary and secondary concerns and finally facilitates decisions around intervention.

A detailed case history questionnaire completed by parents and reviewed by professionals ahead of offering an appointment/s allows for more cohesive assessment and service provision.  This can be supplemented by questionnaires and other professionals’ reports also completed and returned, ahead of the time.  This information is useful in differentiating between APD and other developmental delays or disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability, dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder and speech and language delay or impairment.

Aspects to cover include:

1. Primary concerns of parents, caregivers and school
2. Individual’s concerns (if the child is old enough)
3. Onset and progression of difficulties
4. Speech and language development (speech, language understanding, language use, social use of language, i.e. pragmatics)
5. School placement.  Progress at school and literacy, i.e. reading, spelling.  Support already in place
6. Phonological awareness
7. Memory
8. Attention, concentration and distractibility
9. Motor development and coordination
10. Sensory integration
11. Visual acuity and processing
12. Musical ability
13. Pregnancy/birth/developmental history
14. Medical and ontological history (hearing/ear related) problems/surgery, including previous hearing and middle ear function tests.  Any current medications (including recreational) or excessive noise exposure/trauma
15. Emotional well-being
16. Family history of APD, dyslexia, reading, spelling, language, attention, memory and hearing difficulty
17. Results of previous assessments/investigations (request copies of reports)
18. Professional support/intervention already in place.