Central auditory processing and social functioning following brain injury in children

Primary objective: To describe the percentage of children with central auditory processing disorders ( CAPD) and examine the recovery patterns of social functional skills in children with and without CAPD admitted to inpatient rehabilitation following an acquired brain injury (ABI). Research design: Retrospective, descriptive. Methods and procedures: Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine overall differences in social functioning between groups, within groups and interaction effects for the Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) Social Functional Skills and Caregiver Assistance scales for 31 children admitted to inpatient rehabilitation following ABI. Main outcomes and results: Significant overall effects were found in group differences and test occasions, but no significant interaction for either PEDI scale. Both groups showed significant intra-group changes between admission and discharge on both scales. Conclusions: Children with and without CAPD recovered social functional skills during inpatient rehabilitation. Children with CAPD were admitted and discharged with lower Social Function scores but demonstrated greater changes. The identification of CAPD during inpatient rehabilitation allows for appropriate discharge recommendations and realistic recovery expectations.