[:en]Abstract: Children who experience poor academic performance at school have been described as having learning difficulties (LD). These children are thought to show reduced performances in reading, written language and numeracy, and/or to be inactive and inefficient learners. Hearing is one of several factors thought to influence a child’s learning at school with students spending at least 45% of their classroom activities that require listening and 45 – 75% of their time in the classroom comprehending their teachers’ and classmates’ speech. Hearing impairment can include loss of hearing sensitivity and/or impaired auditory processing. While rates of peripheral hearing loss in the Australian primary school-aged population is estimated to be between 3.4% – 12.8%, rates of impaired auditory processing in this population are not available in Australia. Children with peripheral hearing loss and/or impaired auditory processing often show behaviours similar to those reported in children with LD, suggesting that LD and hearing impairment could be related in primary school child populations. This seminar will present the research that investigated LD and hearing impairment in a school-aged child population in the greater Brisbane region of Queensland, Australia.

Speaker: Robyn is a lecturer in Audiology at the School of Human Sciences and an honorary researcher at the Telethon Kids Institute. Robyn’s current area of research is middle ear assessment and auditory processing disorder in the paediatric population. In particular, Robyn is passionate about improving educational outcomes in children with learning difficulties who may have a hearing impairment. Robyn’s other research interests also include using simulated learning in clinical education and tele-audiology. Clinically, Robyn specialises in diagnostic audiology in adults and paediatrics and central auditory processing assessment and management in the paediatric population. She currently holds the position of Senior Audiologist in the Audiology Department at the Fiona Stanley Hospital.

CPD: 3 points (core, cat1)[:]