SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Speech and Language
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1606860
Effects of auditory training on children with developmental language disorder: a systematic review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- 2Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- 3Shanghai Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of auditory training (AT) on various parameters, including language abilities, speech perception, auditory behavior, electrophysiological assessments, and working memory, in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) population.We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and CINAHL from inception to August 7, 2023, and further scrutinized the references of all selected articles. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies that investigated the effects of AT on children with DLD. Two researchers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias.We included nine studies (eight RCTs and one quasi-experimental) in the systematic review, encompassing 379 children with DLD, 195 in the AT group and 184 in the control group. Compared to controls across five studies, AT did not significantly increase language abilities (expressive, receptive and total). Four out of five studies found significant improvements in children's speech perception abilities after AT treatment, particularly phonological awareness and phoneme discrimination. Two studies showed improvements in temporal ordering and figure-context assessment, but two other studies found no significant changes. Two studies examining electrophysiological measures reported increased amplitudes in auditory event-related potentials after AT. Results for phonological working memory were inconsistent, with one study showing improvements in non-word repetition and digit span tasks, while another found no significant changes.Current evidence does not support the effectiveness of AT in enhancing core language abilities in children with DLD. However, AT may offer potential benefits for specific auditory processing skills and speech perception. More precise evaluation of the effectiveness of AT therapies in this population should be conducted in future research by employing rigorous methodology, bigger sample numbers and standardized outcome measures.
Keywords: developmental language disorder, auditory training, Language, auditory processing, Systematic review
Received: 11 Apr 2025; Accepted: 30 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sun, Hu, Zhang and Tao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yuying Sun, Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.