Spoken Language Processing In Marathi Speaking Children With And Without Risk Of Auditory Processing Disorders A Comparative Study

Abstract

Spoken language processing is very complex and involves successful intertwining of auditory, newlinecognitive and language mechanisms. Medwetsky (2002, 2011) described a model, Spoken newlineLanguage Processing Model (SLPM) to explain this complex process in a simple manner. It newlineinvolves various stages in which acoustic information is processed and transferred into newlinelinguistic information that can be used and retained by the listener ((Medwetsky, 2011). newlineThe aim of the present study was to investigate spoken language processing in Marathi newlinespeaking typically developing children in the age range of 5 to 8 years and in children who are newlineat risk for central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). The study was conducted in two newlinephases. Phase I included development of a test battery for evaluation of spoken language newlineprocessing. In Phase II, spoken language processing test battery (SLPTB) was administered on newlinetypically developing children, adults and children at risk for CAPD. newlineA developmental trend was observed for all the processes involved in the spoken language newlineprocessing. Temporal processing and lexical decoding speed for non-words was observed to newlinemature by the age of 7 to 8 years. All other processes continued to develop beyond age of 8 newlineyears of age. There was a significant difference in the spoken language processing of children newlinewho are at risk at CAPD and typically developing children. PCA revealed association among newlinedifferent tests for spoken language processing in typically developing children. These newlineassociations varied with the age. Association between temporal processing and selective newlineauditory attention was observed across all the age groups. SLPTB developed in present study newlinecan be used for identifying deficits in different processes of spoken language processing. newline