Intensive indoor treatment of infantile central auditory processing disorders

Preliminary remarks. The prevalence of central auditory processing disorder s (CAPD) is supposed to be 2-3% of all children. Given the number of affect ed children and restricted resources in the public health there is a need f or an effective and evaluated therapeutic approaches. On the other hand the number of outcome studies is remarkably small. Patients and methods. The presented study reports strategies and pitfalls i n outcome measurements of 34 children with CAPD, based upon a 3-weeks indoo r therapeutic intervention. Diagnostic criteria of auditory processing and perception were recorded before and after therapy. Results. The data shows a highly significant improvement of certain percept ive abilities, including audiological parameters (dichotic testing, discrim ination, loudness scaling) and awareness, psycholinguistic development and orthographic tests. Conclusion. The study demonstrates that an effective therapy of CAPD in chi ldren is possible and scientifically proven. Long term surveillance however seems to be necessary. it also has to be studied whether intensive indoor treatment is superior or equal to out clinic therapy.