by Donna Geffner/ Deborah Ross-Swain
Qualification Level: C
Purpose: To identify those at risk for Auditory Processing Disorders
Age: 4 through to 17 years
Admin:
Time: 15 minutes to complete and score
An informal behavioural observation completed by parents and teachers, The Learning Inventory is the first step to quantify behaviours to see if a child might need evaluation for auditory disorders; it can provide a starting point for discussions with the speech and language professional prior to further diagnostic testing and treatment recommendations. Further, it can be used to monitor the efficacy of intervention, as well as the effects of childhood illnesses such as otitis media with effusion, asthma and other disorders affecting hearing.
The TLI consists of 103 statements (rated on a 0-to-5 point scale) to assess specific behaviours that can be associated with auditory processing skill weaknesses. These categories were selected to represent the variety of behaviours that are often concomitant in youngsters with listening problems:
- Linguistic Organisation
- Decoding/Language Mechanics
- Attention/ Organisation
- Sensory/ Motor
- Social/ Behaviour
- Auditory Processes
Index scores are derived for each and are then compared to criterion-based cut-off scores to determine clinical significance. Profile Forms are provided to assist with score interpretation using convenient graphs.
Statements in The Listening Inventory Form are rated on a 0 to 5 point scale. Index scores are compared to criterion-based cut-off scores to determine clinical significance.
The Listening Inventory Form is easy to use, designed to automatically direct scores to the appropriate Index column for quick scoring. The manual contains background information as well as a guide for interpretation and use of the observations that were made. Profile forms are provided to assist with score interpretation using convenient graphs.
