Dichotic listening deficits in children with dyslexia

Abstract

Several auditory processing deficits have been reported in children with dyslexia. In order to assess for the presence of a binaural integration type of auditory processing deficit, dichotic listening tests with digits, words and consonant-vowel (CV) pairs were administered to two groups of right-handed 11-year-old children, one group diagnosed with developmental dyslexia and an age-matched control group. Dyslexic children performed more poorly than controls from their left ears when listening to digits and words and from their right ears when listening to CVs. Direction of ear advantage varied across individuals in both groups when tested with digits and CVs, but ear advantage was stable with words. Several factors that may have contributed to inconsistencies in direction of ear advantage are discussed. When the children were tested in a directed response mode, degree of ear advantage differed significantly between groups with both words and digits. More dyslexic than control children demonstrated clinically significant reductions in dichotic listening performance, but no uniform pattern of deficit emerged. Only the double correct score and the left ear score with CV pairs were predictive of word recognition performance in dyslexic children. Binaural integration deficits are present in some children with dyslexia. Auditory processing disorder assessment may help delineate factors that underlie or are associated with reading impairment in this population.

Auditory Processing Disorders in children suspected of Learning Disabilities—A need for screening?

“…The disparity of sensitivity in dichotic digits test between right and left ear results is smaller (25.46%) and points to better sensitivity of the left ear results thus indicating that left ear results are more probable to be deficient in the dichotic digit test when the disorder is present. This is in accordance with researchers reporting greater reduction in left ear performance among children with Learning Disabilities and dyslexia in particular [25].…”

Auditive training effects from a dichotic listening app in children with dyslexia

“…However, the scores of the two control groups indicate a language preference for the left hemisphere as seen in typical samples (Bless et al, ; Hugdahl, ). The lack of ear advantage in the dyslexia group is in line with what is often reported in dyslexia (Helland et al, ; Helland & Asbjørnsen, ; Hugdahl et al, ; Moncrieff & Black, ), but not in all studies (Hakvoort et al, ).…”

“…DL studies of dyslexia have yielded mixed results (seei.e., Moncrieff & Black, ; Obrzut et al, , ). Some studies report a lack of REA in individuals with dyslexia (Helland & Asbjørnsen, ; Hugdahl, Helland, Faerevaag, Lyssand, & Asbjornsen, ; Moncrieff & Black, ), while other studies have reported normal REA (Heiervang et al, ). Yet, other studies report enhanced frequencies of NEA or LEA in dyslexic subgroups (Helland, Asbjørnsen, Hushovd, & Hugdahl, ; Hugdahl & Helland, ).…”

Auditory Recognition of Words and Digits in Multitalker Babble in Learning-Disabled Children with Dichotic Listening Deficit

“…This finding may have some practical significance for designing acoustical modification of classrooms and using assistive listening device for LD children with dichotic listening deficit. (13,14) investigated perception of speech-in-noise in children with or at risk of dyslexia, which is associated with dichotic listening deficit (15). Although these two studies did not investigate the issue of dichotic listening deficit in dyslexia, their results indicate impaired perception of speech-in-noise in children with or at risk of dyslexia, which is in line with the our results.…”