SLP Hearing & Auditory Processing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A child struggles to understand speech in a noisy classroom but passes a standard pure-tone audiogram. Which disorder is most likely?
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Auditory processing disorder (APD) (Correct answer)
- Conductive hearing loss
- Auditory neuropathy
Correct answer: Auditory processing disorder (APD)
APD involves difficulty processing auditory information despite normal peripheral hearing sensitivity on audiogram.
Question 2: Which test measures the acoustic reflex threshold by detecting middle ear muscle contraction in response to loud sound?
- Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE)
- Tympanometry
- Acoustic reflex testing (Correct answer)
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
Correct answer: Acoustic reflex testing
Acoustic reflex testing uses the stapedius muscle contraction elicited by loud tones to assess middle ear and neural pathway integrity.
Question 3: An SLP is counseling a family about a child with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). Which finding is characteristic of ANSD?
- Absent otoacoustic emissions with present ABR
- Present otoacoustic emissions with absent or abnormal ABR (Correct answer)
- Flat tympanogram with absent OAEs
- Normal ABR with elevated pure-tone thresholds
Correct answer: Present otoacoustic emissions with absent or abnormal ABR
ANSD is characterized by present OAEs (intact outer hair cells) but absent or severely abnormal ABR (disrupted neural synchrony).
Question 4: When counseling about frequency modulation (FM) systems for a child with APD, what is the PRIMARY benefit?
- Amplifying all environmental sounds equally
- Improving the signal-to-noise ratio at the child's ear (Correct answer)
- Providing visual cues to supplement auditory input
- Reducing reverberation in the classroom
Correct answer: Improving the signal-to-noise ratio at the child's ear
FM systems transmit the teacher's voice directly to the child's receiver, dramatically improving the signal-to-noise ratio regardless of distance.
Question 5: A toddler shows no response to name-calling and does not startle to loud sounds. What is the MOST urgent referral?
- Speech-language pathology evaluation
- Audiological evaluation with ABR (Correct answer)
- Occupational therapy for sensory processing
- Developmental pediatrician for autism screening
Correct answer: Audiological evaluation with ABR
Absent startle and no response to name in a toddler require immediate audiological evaluation including ABR to rule out hearing loss.
Question 6: Which auditory skill involves the ability to detect a change in frequency, duration, or intensity of an acoustic signal?
- Auditory closure
- Auditory discrimination (Correct answer)
- Binaural integration
- Auditory figure-ground
Correct answer: Auditory discrimination
Auditory discrimination is the ability to perceive differences between sounds, including changes in frequency, duration, or intensity.
Question 7: What does a Type B tympanogram indicate?
- Normal middle ear pressure and compliance
- Fluid in the middle ear or middle ear effusion (Correct answer)
- Negative middle ear pressure suggesting Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Hypermobile tympanic membrane
Correct answer: Fluid in the middle ear or middle ear effusion
A Type B (flat) tympanogram indicates no peak compliance change with pressure variation, consistent with middle ear fluid or a perforated tympanic membrane.
SLP Hearing & Auditory Processing 2
A child struggles to understand speech in a noisy classroom but passes a standard pure-tone audiogram.
Which disorder is most likely?