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Specialists in Auditority Processing Disorder (APD)

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NZ Guidelines on APD

New Zealand Guidelines on Auditory Processing Disorder

The New Zealand Guidelines on Auditory Processing Disorder are intended to provide guidance to clinicians, public agencies, the wider community of professionals who need to know about auditory processing disorder (APD), and people with APD and their families.

NZ APD Guidelines Summary General

NZ APD Guidelines Summary Education

For medical practitioners, especially paediatricians and GPs

Complete and Summary versions of the Guidelines can be downloaded from the APD page of the NZ Audiological Society website at the link below.

NZ APD Guidelines Summary Medical

For professionals in education, psychology and speech-language

For consumers and their families

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Checklist of APD symptoms and commonly related conditions

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A checklist of key symptoms of APD and commonly related conditions that can be used to identify individuals who should be referred for APD assessment, as recommended in the NZ Guidelines.

Checklis of APD symptoms and commonly related conditions

NZ APD Guidelines Summary General

NZ APD Guidelies Summary Education

NZ APD Guidelines Summary Medical

The New Zealand Guidelines on Auditory Processing Disorder are intended to provide guidance to clinicians, educators, public agencies, the wider community of professionals who need to know about auditory processing disorder (APD), and people with APD and their families. The Guidelines are evidence-based and internationally peer-reviewed and emphasise practical guidance for clinicians involved in diagnosing and treating children with APD. Some information about APD in adults is also included.

multi-disciplinary approach with audiologists responsible for diagnosis and case management
referral checklist of symptoms and predisposing comorbidities
selected diagnostic tests recommended from a review of more than 50 tests of auditory processing
summary of tests and screening instruments suitable for assessing auditory skills in children under age six
guidance for assessment of children with comorbidities including other hearing disorders
suggested tools for assessment or screening of related developmental capacities in children (language, cognition, attention, visual processing)
recommended questionnaires assessing auditory processing and listening difficulties in children and adults, and coping abilities in learning situations
recommended evidence-based treatments
unsubstantiated alternative treatments to avoid
WHO ICF functional disability approach with recognition of client protections under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)
highlighted recommendations and key points.

The NZ Guidelines on APD are rated by the Center for Evidence Based Practice of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as Highly Recommended according to the AGREE appraisal system. AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation) is a framework consisting of 23 criteria across six domains (e.g., rigour of development, stakeholder involvement) designed to evaluate the applicability, currency, comprehensiveness, and methodological rigour of clinical guidelines. The highest rating is Highly Recommended.

Authors:
William Keith QSO, PhD, MNZAS (Convenor), Suzanne Purdy PhD, MNZAS, Melissa Baily MAud, MNZAS, Flora Kay MAud, MNZAS

International peer reviewers:
Doris-Eva Bamiou MD, MSc, FRCP, PhD, Professor in Neuroaudiology, UCL (University College London), Ear Institute and NIHR BRC Hearing & Deafness, London, United Kingdom

Benoît Jutras PhD, Professeur titulaire, École d’orthophonie et d’audiologie, Université de Montréal, Canada

Robert W. Keith PhD, Professor Emeritus – ENT and CSD, University of Cincinnati, U.S.A.

Wayne Wilson PhD, AudSA CCP, Associate Professor, Head of the Discipline of Audiology, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia

Launch of NZ Guidelines on APD

Launch of the New Zealand Guidelines on Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory processing disorder may be a specialised area of communication disorders but more than 80 people turned out for the official launch of the New Zealand Guidelines on Auditory Processing Disorder hosted by the Eisdell Moore Hearing and Balance Research Centre at the University of Auckland. Participants included audiologists, speech-language therapists, ENT surgeons, hearing research scientists, consumers, and special education teachers.

Kāumatua Piripi Daniels opened and closed the event, and blessed the Guidelines as a taonga (treasure) that will benefit the tamariki (children) of Aotearoa (New Zealand) for years to come.

Kāumatua Piripi Daniels

Other guest speakers included Professor Peter Thorne, Director of the Eisdell Moore Centre; Libby Gibbins, President of the NZ Audiological Society; Leonie Wilson-Kilby, Chair of APD support group Hear 4 Families APD NZ; and the Ministry of Education’s Director of Learning Support, Dr David Wales.

Messages of greetings and congratulations came from the peer reviewers in the UK, Canada, USA and Australia.

Leonie Wilson-Kilby

Guidelines co-authors Dr Bill Keith and Professor Suzanne Purdy spoke about the Guidelines and some of their current APD research.

Professor Suzanne Purdy

Dr Purdy began with a Māori whakataukī (proverb) about perseverance, a reference to the three year journey involved in writing the Guidelines, and ended with a whakataukī about a fledgling bird, a reference to the journey the Guidelines will now embark on as they take wing and influence APD service development.