Question
Why do the norms for the SSW use 1 standard deviation for children under 12 years of age, and 2 standard deviations for older children and adults?Answer
Because the standard deviations for younger children are wider, I felt that we would be missing too much information if we used 2 standard deviations for them. For adults, it's not a problem because the standard deviations are narrow. The Buffalo battery combines all kinds of information to determine which patterns/categories are demonstrated. For this reason no one factor is critical. I would much rather look for several independent positive factors supporting the problem at a weaker probability than to depend so heavily on one characteristic at a higher probability level.
Jack Katz has been involved in the study of central auditory disorders for over five decades. He has developed effective tests and therapy procedures to evaluate and remediate this prevalent problem. He has editied several books on this topic and has written many articles and chapters and has presented on this topic nationally and internationally. He has just completed a book focusing on therapy for APD that will be distributed by Educational Audiology Association. Dr. Katz has spent 50 years developing the SSW test as a measure of central auditory function.
This Ask the Expert was based on the recorded course series entitled "The Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) Test - Virtual Conference" that was presented live on AudiologyOnline in Summer 2009. We invite you to view the recorded courses from this series that can be found in the AudiologyOnline library: Scoring Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) Items - Plugging in the Best Information (course #14141);Scoring the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) Test: Using All the Elements (course #14166);and Auditory Processing Disorder (APD): Making a Diagnosis and Checking it Twice (course #14212).
