Dear Richard:
In addition to Andrew J. Fallon's response to "What is the SCAN test?", it is
important to stress the SCREENING in the test's name. The SCAN is not
diagnostic test for CAPD, but only a screening test to determine if a full
diagnostic battery is required. The SCAN is made up of the three subtests (
Filtered Words, Auditory Figure-Ground, and Competing Words), but each subtest
should not be used alone to determine if a CAPD exists. Rather, it is the
child's composite score that truly determines if the child is performing below
the norms for his/her age group. While some audiologists will make
recommendations based on the child's performance in the subtests, it is
important to conduct the full diagnostic assessment in order to narrow down
exactly what areas the child is demonstrating difficulty in.
I hope this is helpful.
K. A. Eskritt, M.Cl.Sc., Reg CASLPO
Audiologist
