Patterns of sensory abnormalities in children and adults with autism were examined using the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO). This interview elicits detailed information about responsiveness to a wide range of sensory stimuli. Study 1 showed that over 90% of children with autism had sensory abnormalities and had…

This study investigated the relationship between categorical perception and dyslexia by comparing the discrimination responses of 19 children with dyslexia and 17 average readers to sinewave analogues of speech sounds presented as either nonspeech whistles or as speech sounds. The study found an increased perceptibility of within-category…

An individual with autism addresses the need for more research on sensory problems in autism. Difficulties that autistic individuals have with sensory processing, attention shifting, and sensory mixing between modalities are noted. Preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy is noted. (DB)

Comparison of the temporal processing abilities of nine college students with diagnosed reading disorders and nine typical students found students with reading disorders exhibited significantly higher error rates in discriminating duration patterns than normal reading controls. Significant correlations were found between reading ability measures…

A study involving 55 children with a language impairment and 76 with normal language investigated the heritability of auditory processing impairment in same-sex twins (ages 7 to 13, selected from a sample of 37 pairs). Although correlations between co-twins were high, lack of significant difference between monozygotic and dizygotic twins suggested…

This study examined whether middle-class African American children (N=47 and ages 5-10) might improve their performance on the Screening Test for Auditory Processing Disorders (SCAN) when tested by an African American versus an Anglo American examiner. Examiner race did not appear to influence SCAN performance. However, a significant learning…

This rejoinder to a critique of the authors' research on speech perception deficits in poor readers answers the specific criticisms and reaffirms their conclusion that the difficulty some poor readers have with rapid /ba/-/da/ discrimination does not stem from difficulty in discriminating the rapid spectral transitions at stop-vowel syllable…

The identifying features of nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) were evaluated with 29 NLD children, 27 children with reading and spelling disabilities, and 27 nonclinical children. Four tests were found which accurately discriminated the NLD group from the others. Deficits in visual-perceptual-organizational psychomotor coordination and complex…

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin) on auditory processing in 32 children with both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and central auditory processing (CAP) disorder. Analyses revealed that Ritalin did not have a significant effect on any of the central auditory processing measures, although…

Seventeen children (ages 6-11) with developmental apraxia of speech were administered tests of identification and discrimination of resynthesized and synthesized monosyllabic words differing in place of articulation of the initial voiced stop consonants and intensity of the third formant. Results indicated no phonetic processing deficit in…

This paper provides an overview of interdisciplinary assessment procedures and criteria for diagnosis of central auditory processing (CAP) disorders. It describes use of a CAP test battery consisting of four measures with results integrated with a comprehensive speech-language pathology assessment. Practical strategies for classroom utilization…

This study of 38 right-handed children (age range 90 to 201 months) with dyslexia found characteristic patterns of organization of intellectual functions, of hemispheric specialization, and of reading errors in the subtypes, identified as linguistic dyslexia, perceptual dyslexia, and mixed dyslexia. (DB)

Describes a corrective method of color adaptation designed to allow most, if not all, individuals to participate in the learning process as well as social and work-related environments. Provides a concise summation of facts and theories concerning color deficiency. Includes anatomical drawings, graphs, and statistical data. (MJP)