ADHD Vs. CAPD
...f restlessness) (d) often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly (e) is often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor” (f) often talks excessively Impulsivity (g) often blurts out answers before the questions have been completed (h) often has difficulty awaiting turn (i) often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g. butts into conversations or games) B. Some hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms that caused impairment were present before the age 7 years…” It is important to note that six out nine symptoms each in the Inattention list and Hyperactive-Impulsive list must be present and be developmentally inappropriate. • Central Auditory Processing Disorder- “Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) occurs when auditory centers of the brain are affected by injury, disease, tumor, heredity or unknown causes. CAPD does not necessarily involve (although it may) hearing loss. Central auditory processing involves sound localization and lateralization, auditory discrimination, auditory pattern recognition, the temporal aspects of sounds, and the ability to deal with degraded and competing acoustic signals. Therefore, a deficiency in one or more of the above listed behaviors may constitute a central auditory processing disorder. CAPD is often associated with Attention Deficit disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder. ( American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 1997).” A child diagnosed with CAPD have generally have normal hearing and intelligence.A child with CAPD have been to observed to have following problems ( Chermak & Musiek, 1997). • He/she has trouble with tasks that require attention and remembering oral information. • He/she has problems carrying out multi-step directions. • He/ she have poor listening skills. • He/she needs extra time processing information. • He/she is likely to have low academic performance. • He/she has behavior related problems. • He/ she have difficulty in language. They have confusion with syllable sequence, vocabulary development and understanding spoken language. • He/ she have problems with reading, comprehension, spelling and vocabulary. 2. Referral methods: I) ADHD: A referral for services is normally made when ADHD is first suspected by a caretaker or teachers at school. The caretaker will normally request an evaluation (Barkley). II) CAPD: A teacher or the caretaker will be the first to suspect any indication of a problem with auditory processing. A referral will be made to the pediatrician to rule out other possible problems. The pediatrician in turn might refer to an otolaryngologist for further evaluation for any hearing issues. An audiologist will also be part of the diagnostic team. The audiologist will conduct extensive audiologic tests to evaluate the level of processing problem. A speech language pathologist will evaluate language problems and the psychologist will help deal with the behavioral and cognitive problems associated with CAPD (Chermak et al). 3. Identification and diagnosis : a) First Interview for ADHD: This initial phase of the diagnostic interview includes preliminary information. This preliminary information should include: I. Release of information to obtain reports of previous evaluations if applicable. II. Health status and medical information from the physician. III. Recent evaluations from school should be part of referral concerns. IV. Obtain information from any social services that might be providing services to the child. V. An information packet is mailed to parents to obtain child and family history, developmental milestones and medical history. b) Testing Measures: A comprehensive child behavior rating scales should be used to that will cover major aspects of child’s psycho-pathology. Tests that can be used for this purpose are but not limited to the following: I. The Child Behavior Checklist II. The Behavior Assessment System for Children III. The Personality Inventory for Children IV. The Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale V. The Child Attention Profile It is important to note that high scores on these rating scales do not automatically mean a diagnosis of ADHD. The clinician should combine information the information obtained from parent and teacher interview, in addition to his or her personal knowledge in differential diagnosis before rendering a specific diagnosis (Barkley, 1998, pg. 279). c) First interview and testing measures for CAPD: It is important to remember that a differential diagnosis is also required to render a diagnosis of CAPD (Jerger & Musiek, 2000). The following is the minimum testing battery recommended by the American Academy of Audiology. Th...