International Journal of Speech and Audiology
2025, Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part A
Effects of dichotic listening training on auditory processing in school-aged children with CAPD
Author(s): Maria Castillo, Liam Harris, Sofia Thompson, David James and Emma Clarke
Abstract: Background: Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) in school-aged children often presents with deficits in binaural integration and separation, particularly on dichotic listening tasks, despite normal peripheral hearing. Such deficits can impair speech perception in noise and academic performance. Targeted auditory training, such as Dichotic Listening Training (DLT), has been proposed to recalibrate interaural competition and enhance functional listening skills, but high-quality pediatric evidence remains limited. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an eight-week structured DLT program on dichotic listening performance and speech-in-noise perception in school-aged children with CAPD, compared to an active control condition. Methods: Forty children aged 8-12 years with CAPD were randomly assigned to either a DLT group (n=20) or an active control group (n=20) engaged in non-auditory academic activities. Inclusion criteria included normal audiograms, normal tympanometry, and documented dichotic deficits on standardized tests. The DLT protocol, adapted from the ARIA method, was delivered twice weekly for 45 minutes over eight weeks, incorporating interaural intensity difference adjustments and forced/non-forced attention modes. Outcome measures included interaural asymmetry index (AAI), weaker-ear percent correct (WEPC) on dichotic tests, and Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences (LiSN-S) performance. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Post-intervention, the DLT group showed significant improvements in AAI (-14.8%, p < 0.001, η²p = 0.79) and WEPC (+15.6%, p < 0.001, η²p = 0.78), while the control group showed negligible change. LiSN-S Low-Cue SRT improved by -1.6 dB (p < 0.001) in the DLT group, with significant gains in Talker Advantage (+1.9 dB, p < 0.001). Effect sizes were large, and improvements exceeded those reported in non-deficit-specific CAPD training programs. Conclusions: An ARIA-based DLT protocol produced substantial and clinically relevant improvements in dichotic listening and speech-in-noise perception in children with CAPD. DLT should be considered a key component of individualized CAPD management, with potential for integration into school and clinic-based interventions.
DOI: 10.22271/27103846.2025.v6.i2a.86
Pages: 56-61 | Views: 249 | Downloads: 114
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How to cite this article:
Maria Castillo, Liam Harris, Sofia Thompson, David James and Emma Clarke. Effects of dichotic listening training on auditory processing in school-aged children with CAPD. International Journal of Speech and Audiology. 2025; 6(2): 56-61. DOI: 10.22271/27103846.2025.v6.i2a.86
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