IVA tests visual and Auditory performance
Captains Log assesses cognitive skill deficiencies and pinpoints barriers to learning
Scan-C tests Auditory Processing Skills
Further testing on such learning problems as Dyslexia can be provided by Behavior works

IVA  
(Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test)  

A comprehensive computerized test of attention, processing,  and self control used by health professionals in identifying and diagnosing attention related difficulties. In it's first use, it clarifies if there are related cognitive deficits associated with ADD/ADHD and provides data as to what treatment options will help. We can also use the IVA CPT test to monitor the effectiveness of medication as well as any treatment option. It is based solely on the performance of the individual rather than subjective forms of related information that are often just one persons opinion. Your interests as well as data from parents and instructors/supervisors will also help us in choosing and evaluating our treatment plan.

The test is relatively easy to use. The main task lasts about thirteen minutes and presents 500 trials of 1's and 2's in a random pattern. This allows the shifting of sets between the visual and auditory tasks. You will be required to click the mouse only when you see or hear a "1". You would be expected to inhibit this clicking when you see or hear a "2". The test is designed to measure your attention and impulsivity as well your stamina. IVA's mixing of visual and auditory stimuli creates a real-life task, increasing test sensitivity and power.

IVA's unique integrated format provides much more information than can be drawn from subjective rating scales or from any other commercially available CPT. IVA's Validity Scales tell us if the client is responding randomly and also helps us screen for possible emotional or neurological problems. IVA research studies demonstrate excellent test-retest reliability and stability. It accurately assesses the effectiveness of treatment and/or medication.

Star Subscales

The STAR report provides you with more information about your clients' inattention problems than is available from the standard IVA report alone. STAR uses the raw IVA data to create four additional attention scales for IVA.

Alertness - measures correct responses to the targets when they are infrequent and the demand is intermittent.

Steadiness - measures correct responses when targets are frequent and there is a sustained demand for response.

Promptness - measures the reaction time to targets during the sections when the target is infrequent. A high score on this scale shows that the person responds quickly when a target appears. A low score may indicate that the test taker has slow processing speed.

Constancy - shows the variability of reaction times during the sections when the target is infrequent. A person who responds in a similar fashion to every trial demonstrates a high level of constancy. This individual is focused on the task at hand. A person whose response times are variable may be distracted by internal or external conditions.

Help identify the inattentive type of ADHD...

Star "pulls out" the IVA data most useful in identifying attention problems. Star adds four important attention scales to the standard IVA report and presents the information provided by those scales both in the form of charts and in an easily understood narrative report. Star also enables you to compare auditory and visual processing strengths and weaknesses. It can be used as part of a comprehensive evaluation of ADHD or CAPD or in identifying attention problems that will impede the relearning of language skills and cognitive skills in patients with aphasia, head injuries or strokes. 

Comments on the IVA

Robin Wetzel, Ph.D., L.P.
Learning and Language Specialists
Golden Valley, MN

“Our ADD Treatment Centers have used the IVA test for years both to assist in diagnosing the severity and type of attention deficit (auditory, visual), and in evaluating treatment (neurofeedback, medication) effectiveness. It is easy to administer, simple to interpret and cost efficient.”

Michael K. Linden, Ph.D., Director
ADD Treatment Centers,
San Juan Capistrano, CA

Top 10 Reasons Why We Use This Unique Test!

 1. IVA is the only test that enables us to measure and evaluate visual and auditory inattention and response control separately and simultaneously.

2. IVA’s mixing of visual and auditory stimuli creates a “real-life” task and a variable inter-stimulus interval, increasing test sensitivity and power.

3. IVA’s natural-sounding voice provides a highly structured, standardized, easy-to-use administration procedure; all test instructions are presented both visually and aurally by the computer.

4. IVA provides an objective measure of small motor hyperactivity by measuring off-task, “test the limits,” “hate to wait,” impulsive fine motor activity with the mouse.

5. IVA’s separate test-retest analysis helps us accurately measure treatment or medication effects.

6. IVA’s Attribute Scales provide us with insight into learning styles and tell us whether you are a visual or auditory learner.

7. IVA’s Validity Scales tell us if you are responding randomly and also helps us screen for possible emotional or neurological problems.

8. IVA’s Behavioral and Subjective Rating Scales help us assess observable hyperactive, off-task, behaviors such as occur in classroom type work; some of these, such as large motor hyperactivity, might not otherwise be detected by a CPT.

9. IVA uses the same scoring as IQ tests, making interpretation easy to learn.

10. IVA provides quick analysis - no need for you ever to mail in anything. In addition, IVA stores all raw data so future analysis based on research may be compared to previously collected data.

Most of all, the IVA gives you (The Client) a document showing your progress: the rewards of your work. Each time you take it, we can adapt or continue on the original treatment plan to optimize your performance for success in school and life.

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The SCAN—C Test for Auditory Processing Disorders in Children–Revised enables professionals to obtain reliable central auditory test results in children between ages 5 years, 0 months and 11 years, 11 months. The test assesses the perception or pre-cognitive stage of auditory processing. The careful, thorough procedures utilized in developing and updating this test will allow you to identify children who have auditory processing disorders and who may benefit from intervention. The results are also useful in determining levels of auditory maturation and hemispheric dominance for language.

SCAN-C Subtests

The first two subtests, Filtered Words and Auditory Figure Ground, are sensitized speech tests in which the test items have been distorted in a specific way to reduce intelligibility. The last two, Competing Words and Competing Sentences, are dichotic listening tests in which different words or sentences are presented simultaneously, one to each ear.

Subtest 1 Filtered Words

Purpose

The Filtered Words subtest enables the examiner to assess a child's ability to understand distorted speech. Results of research using such tasks indicates that children with auditory processing disorders have difficulty understanding distorted speech and often have receptive language disorders with poor auditory closure. Filtered words testing has been used for many years and has long been considered effective in the identification of CAPD in children.

Test Format

The child is asked to repeat words that sound muffled. The test stimuli consist of one syllable words that have been low-pass filtered at 1000 Hz with a roll-off of 32 dB per octave. Three practice and 20 test words are presented to the right ear. Then two practice words and 20 test words are presented to the left ear.

Subtest 2 Auditory Figure-Ground

Purpose

The Auditory Figure-Ground subtest enables the examiner to assess a child's ability to understand speech in the presence of background noise. Difficulty understanding speech in the presence of background noise is a frequent complaint of individuals with auditory processing difficulties. These children are unable to completely comprehend auditory input in noisy situations, reverberant rooms, and in other unfavorable listening conditions. Poor performance on such tasks may also indicate a delay in development of the auditory system.

Test Format

One syllable words were recorded in the presence of multi-talker speech babble noise at +8 dB signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (i.e., the stimulus words are 8 dB higher intensity than the multi-talker speech babble). The child is asked to repeat the stimulus words in the presence of background noise. Two practice words and 20 test words are presented to the right ear, and then two practice and 20 test words are presented to the left ear.

Subtest 3 Competing Words

Purpose

The Competing Words subtest enables the examiner to assess the child's ability to understand competing speech signals (sometimes called binaural separation). The Competing Words subtest is a dichotic task that is used to assess function of neurological pathways of the auditory system. Poor overall performance may indicate a developmental delay in maturation or underlying neurological disorganization or damage to auditory pathways. The Competing Words subtest also enables you to assess ear advantage. Left-ear advantages for all test conditions indicate the possibility of damage to the auditory reception areas of the left hemisphere, or failure to develop left hemisphere dominance for language. Abnormalities shown by dichotic words test results are related to a wide range of specific disabilities, including central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), language disabilities, learning disabilities, and reading disorders.

Test Format

The test stimuli consist of one syllable word pairs presented to the right and left ears. The child hears two words simultaneously-one word presented to each ear. First, two practice word pairs and 15 test word pairs are presented. As a directed listening task the child is instructed to repeat both words, repeating the word heard in the right ear first. Then, a second set of two practice word pairs and 15 test word pairs are presented. The child is instructed to repeat both words, repeating the word heard in the left ear first.

Subtest 4 Competing Sentences

Purpose

Dichotic sentence testing is another binaural separation test procedure. Like the Competing Words subtest, results of the Competing Sentences subtest are used to determine levels of auditory maturation, hemispheric dominance for language, and to identify disordered or damaged central auditory pathways. The advantage of testing binaural separation with both word and sentence stimuli is to compare findings obtained with both simple and more complex linguistic levels of auditory stimuli.

Test Format

Pairs of sentences that are unrelated in topic are presented to the right and left ears. The sentence pairs have simultaneous onset and offset times, with no more than 10 milliseconds difference. The Competing Sentences subtest also consists of a directed ear listening task, but in this case the child is instructed to direct attention to the stimuli presented in one ear, while ignoring stimuli presented to the other ear. First, two practice sentence pairs and 10 test sentence pairs are presented. The child is instructed to repeat only the sentence heard in the right ear. Then, another set of practice and test sentence pairs are presented. This time, the child is instructed to repeat only the sentence heard in the left ear.

Interpretation

SCAN-C results can help to identify how a particular child's pattern of auditory skills compares to a national sample of children. SCAN-C results provide information on specific aspects of auditory performance, such as listening under degraded conditions and competing conditions. Reviewing a child's pattern of performance on SCAN-C and any documented behavioral observations during testing provides information to help rule out the presence of auditory processing problems in children with language, learning, or attention deficit disorders.

Normative Data for SCAN-C are reported at one-year intervals from 5 years 0 months to 9 years 11 months; and one combined age group for 10 years 0 months to 11 years 11 months. The SCAN-C normative data enables the examiner to compare a child's auditory processing performance on SCAN-C with the auditory processing abilities of children of similar age across the country (i.e., the standardization sample). SCAN-C provides subtest and composite standard scores, percentile ranks and a normative classification system. As a standardized test, SCAN-C standard scores can be directly compared to any other speech-language, educational, or psychological test that is standardized.

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