Central Auditory Processing Evaluation

Auditory Discrimination

Subtest & Description

Low-Pass Filtered Speech (Ages 7+): Words are muffled (high-pitched sounds removed), leaving the words to sound unclear or muffled. The listener repeats each word.

Time-Compressed Sentences (Ages 6–8): Sentences get faster over time. The listener repeats each sentence.

Time-Compressed Speech (Ages 9+): Words presented at a sped up rate. The listener repeats each word.

Time-Compressed Speech with Reverberation (Ages 9+): Fast words with added echo. The listener repeats the word.

BKB-SIN / QuickSIN (Ages 5+/18+): Sentences are played with background noise that gets louder over time. The listener repeats what they hear.

How does the brain process sound?

At Sound Speech and Hearing Clinic, our audiologists use specialized testing to understand how a patient hears, processes, and makes sense of sound. These tests help us identify strengths and challenges in how the brain handles auditory information, especially in complex or noisy environments.

This guide outlines the types of tests we may include in a central auditory processing evaluation, with examples to help you understand what each one involves.

Example

Dichotic Listening

Subtests & Examples

Dichotic Digits (Ages 5+): Different numbers are played in each ear at the same time. The listener repeats all the numbers heard.

Competing Sentences (Ages 7+): Two sentences are played simultaneously, one in each ear. The listener repeats only the sentence in the quieter “test ear.” Each ear is tested with 10 sentences.

Temporal Processing

Subtest & Description

Pitch Pattern Sequence (Ages 6+): Series of 3 beeps (high or low) are played. The listener repeats the pattern using words first, and then by humming (e.g. high high low).

Random Gap Detection (Ages 5+): Beeps are played in isolation or in a pair with different pauses. The listener reports hearing one or two beeps.

Example