1. The effectiveness of using home-based auditory training programs for the remediation of Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) Karin Gillies 1, Sharon Cameron 3, Alison King 2, Helen Glyde 3 & Harvey Dillon 3 1 Australian Hearing, Melbourne, Vic, 3000; 2 Australian Hearing, Box Hill, Vic, 3128; 3 National Acoustic Laboratories, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109 Clinical population Participants were part of a larger clinical study of children assessed at Australian Hearing between April 2012 and December 2013. 69 children diagnosed with spatial processing disorder undertook to complete the LiSN & Learn auditory training program 52 children with a verbal memory deficit undertook to complete the Memory Booster auditory training program. Methods: Children completed the auditory training at home under parent supervision. Children completing the LiSN & Learn were instructed to complete 2 training games per day, 5 days per week for 10 weeks. Children completing the Memory Booster were instructed to complete 15 – 20 minutes of training per day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. Parents emailed progress reports to their clinician at the beginning, middle and the end of the training. Clinicians provided feedback to the child and their family after each report was received. Post-training evaluation included a re-test for the target deficit and two outcomes measures: the Client Orientated Scale of Improvement – Child (COSI-C) and the Listening Inventory for Education – Teacher (LIFE-T). Possible scores for the LIFE-T range from -35 (Use is highly unfavourable) to +35 (Use is highly beneficial). Results for LiSN & Learn for spatial processing disorder: Completion of training (N=69) Time to complete training (N=40) Training took an average 20.2 weeks to complete (range: 10.7 weeks – 43.6 weeks) Post-training outcomes (N=33) Significant improvements on all spatially-separated conditions of LiSN-S (high cue SRT, spatial, total advantage; each p < 0.00001) and on low cue SRT (p < 0.0005). 27 (82%) children showed normal results on the LiSN-S test. 30 (91%) children showed an improvement on the LiSN-S test. 30 (91%) children reported real-life improvement on the COSI-C. 15 LIFE questionnaires were returned. The mean score was 19 (range -1 to 35). Results for Memory Booster for verbal memory deficit: Completion of training (N=52) Time to complete training (N=30) Training took on average 16.3 weeks to complete (range: 7.8 weeks – 36.1 weeks) Post-training outcomes (N=30, results incl. for children who failed that test pre-training): Significant improvement on both mean scaled score of NMF (n=17, p=0.003) and NMR (n=18, p=0.002). 11 children (65%) were within the normal range and 14 children (82%) showed improvement post-training on the NMF. 11 children (61%) were within the normal range and 14 children (78%) showed improvement post-training on the NMR. 22 out of 26 children (85%) reported real life improvements on the COSI-C. 12 LIFE questionnaires were returned. The mean score was 15 (range -2 to 32). Background Information: Home-based auditory training programs offer a convenient and cost-effective option for the remediation of specific listening deficits that come under the Central auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) umbrella a. The LiSN & Learn and it’s replacement, Sound Storm, are a home-based auditory training program that is effective in remediating spatial processing disorder in children diagnosed with this deficit b,c. The Memory Booster is a home-based auditory training program that is effective in remediating verbal memory deficits in children diagnosed with this deficit d. Conclusions Home-based auditory training programs can be an effective option for the remediation of specific listening deficits in a clinical CAPD service. Factors for successful completion of training are: identifying and addressing technical, family or health issues that may delay or disrupt training, providing strategies to keep the child motivated to continue the training, and maintaining contact with families whose children commence training References a.Cameron S, Glyde H, Dillon H, King A, Gillies K. Results from a national central auditory processing disorder service: A "real world" assessment of diagnostic practices and remediation for CAPD. Seminars in Hearing 2015; 36(4): 216-236. b.Cameron S, Dillon H. Development and evaluation of the LiSN & Learn auditory training software for deficit-specific remediation of binaural processing deficits in children: preliminary findings. J Am Acad Audiol 2011; 22: 678-96. c.Cameron S, Glyde H, Dillon H. Efficacy of the LiSN & Learn auditory training software: Randomized blinded controlled study. Audiology Research 2012; 2:e15. d.St Clair-Thompson H, Stevens R, Hunt A, Bolder E. Improving children’s working memory and classroom performance. Educational Psychology, 2010; 30, 203-219. NB: Due to the clinical nature of the service, follow-up data were not available for all children. New developments: In March 2016, LiSN & Learn was superseded by Sound Storm. Sound Storm is an app for iPads that uses the same auditory training stimuli and adaptive algorithms, set in a more engaging space fantasy game.