Abstract: Objectives: The objectives of this study were (1) to describe the auditory characteristics of children with autism relative to those of typically developing children and (2) to describe the test-retest reliability of behavioral auditory test measures with this population of children with autism.

Design: Audiometric data were obtained from 22 children diagnosed with autism and 22 of their typically developing peers. The audiologic test battery consisted of behavioral measures (i.e., visual reinforcement audiometry, tangible reinforcement operant conditioning audiometry, and conditioned play audiometry) and physiological measures (auditory brain stem response audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and acoustic reflexes).

Results: Children with autism had physiologic test results equivalent to their typically developing counterparts. That is, no differences in auditory brain stem response audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, or acoustic reflex results were noted between the children with autism and typically developing children. However, behavioral measures revealed that about half of the children diagnosed with autism presented pure-tone averages outside of normal limits (i.e., >20 dB HL), although their response thresholds to speech were within normal limits. All behavioral test results were within normal limits (i.e., <=20 dB HL) for the typically developing children. In addition, test-retest variability was typically 15 dB or greater for children with autism as compared with variability of 10 dB or less for most of the typically developing children.

Conclusions: Children with autism demonstrated essentially equivalent results on a battery of physiological auditory tests as those obtained from typically developing children. However, on average, behavioral responses of children with autism were elevated and less reliable relative to those of typically developing children. Furthermore, approximately half of the children with autism demonstrated behavioral pure-tone averages outside of the normal hearing range (i.e., >20 dB HL) despite having normal to near-normal hearing sensitivity as determined by other audiometric measures.

     Journal Watch :Prevalence and risk factors for otomycosis treated in the hospital setting in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) - Yavo W. et al, 2004
 

  1.  Reviewers wanted for otolaryngology news journal's watch page. If you are an Otolaryngologist in Africa and will like to be our journal reviewer, please feel free to email orl-mailer@otolaryngologyinafrica.net

  2.   DODA 2006, capable of advanced hearing measure, and also paediatric hearing assessment is being developed. If you requested for and got a free copy of DODA, you may also look out for this latest version dubbed DODA-i, as well as for an additional page on outcome of hearing assessment using DODA.

 3.  A subweb of this site, dedicated to online publications of otorhinolaryngological grand round presentations across Institutions all over Africa will soon take off. The subweb once active can be accessed at http://www.otolaryngologyinafrica.net/grandround/ . This page, is already active and you are enjoined to take advantage of this to send in your grand round presentations. Also watch out for online discussion forum for discussion of issues concerning otolaryngologists, but not really of clinical nature at http://otolaryngologyinafrica.net/discussionforum/ 

 Till Next Week,

 Biodun