University of Canterbury Study on Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

Current Levels of Awareness, Experience and Confidence of SLTs Working in New Zealand, Regarding Paediatric Auditory Processing Disorder.

My name is Scarlett Smith. I am a fourth-year speech-language therapy honours student at the University of Canterbury. This research is being completed as part of my 490 research project under the supervision of Dr Dean Sutherland (dean.sutherland@canterbury.ac.nz), Brooklyn Johnston (brooklyn.johnston@canterbury.ac.nz), and Alex Weathersby (alex.weathersby@canterbury.ac.nz).  

You will be asked to complete the following survey, which explores speech-language therapists’ understanding, experience, and confidence in working with children who have Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

What is the purpose of this study?
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a condition that affects how the brain processes the sounds a person hears. Children with APD typically have normal hearing sensitivity, but their brains have difficulty interpreting or making sense of auditory information, especially in complex or noisy environments. This can impact their ability to follow spoken instructions, distinguish similar sounds, or understand language in the presence of background noise—skills that are critical for learning and communication. APD is considered a complex and often controversial diagnosis due to overlapping symptoms with other developmental and learning disorders (e.g., language disorder, ADHD, dyslexia), a lack of consensus around diagnostic criteria, and variability in how it is identified and managed across professions. This complexity can create challenges for Speech-Language Therapists (SLTs), particularly in understanding their role and knowing how to best support children with APD. 

This study aims to explore: 

• How aware SLTs are of paediatric APD in New Zealand? 
• What experience SLTs have working with children diagnosed with APD?
• SLTs’ levels of confidence in supporting these clients. 
• Perceptions of how APD is understood and managed in our profession. 

You can take part if: 

• You are a qualified SLT currently working in New Zealand 
• You have experience working with paediatric clients (aged 0–18 years), whether or not they have APD. 

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