Audiometric Profiles in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Does Subclinical Hearing Loss Impact Communication?
Autism Res
; 9(1): 107-20, 2016 Jan.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25962745
ABSTRACT
Rates of hearing impairment in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are higher than those reported in the general population. Although ASD is not caused by hearing impairment, it may exacerbate symptomatology. Participants with ASD (N = 60) and typically developing peers (N = 16) aged 5-18 years underwent a comprehensive audiological screening (pure tone audiometry, uncomfortable loudness level, tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and auditory brainstem response) and assessment of communication abilities (expressive/receptive language, articulation, phonological awareness, and vocal affect recognition). Incidence of abnormal findings on at least one measure of audiological functioning was higher for the ASD group (55%) than controls (14.9%) or the general population estimate (6%). The presence of sound sensitivity was also considerably higher for the ASD group (37%) compared with controls (0%) or general population estimates (8-15%). When participants with ASD were dichotomized into groups with and without evidence of clinical audiological abnormality, no significant differences were identified on measures of communication; however, results of correlational analyses indicated that variability in hearing thresholds at middle range frequencies (2000 Hz) was significantly related to performance on all measures of speech articulation and language after correction for multiple comparisons (r = -0.48 to r = -0.53, P < 0.0045). These findings suggest that dichotomized classification of clinical audiology may not be sufficient to understand the role of subclinical hearing loss in ASD symptomatology and that treatment studies for mild/subclinical hearing loss in this population may be worthwhile.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Auditory Threshold
/
Communication
/
Autism Spectrum Disorder
/
Hearing Loss
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Autism Res
Journal subject:
PSIQUIATRIA
/
TRANSTORNOS MENTAIS
Year:
2016
Document type:
Article