Assessment and Management of Children with Listening Difficulties
This stream focuses on diagnosing and addressing listening difficulties, including auditory processing disorders, in children. It introduces a relatively new, cohesive test battery assessing abilities that may affect speech identification in noise. Participants will have hands-on experience administering and receiving these tests, which evaluate sentence comprehension, phoneme identification, memory, attention, language, spatial processing and dichotic perception. Explanations of the tested abilities and an overview of typical result patterns will be complemented by clinical case studies.
The stream also covers management options for these children, including an overview of various auditory training programs, wireless remote microphone technology and low-gain hearing aids. Evidence supporting each option will be reviewed, along with clinical considerations such as device options, validation, and funding considerations.
While this stream is paediatric focused, the diagnostic approaches and remediation options discussed are also applicable to adult patients.
Learning goals
- To understand the potential causes of listening difficulties in children, including, but not limited to, auditory processing disorders.
- To acquire practical experience in administering and interpreting tests used to diagnose listening difficulties.
- To apply evidence-based clinical reasoning in selecting and implementing appropriate supports for various profiles of listening difficulties.
- To gain an understanding of selected auditory training programs used to treat different profiles of listening difficulties.
- To gain an overview of the current device options available for listening difficulties, including wireless remote microphone technology and low-gain hearing aids.
CPD Points
Masterclass stream: 12 points (Category 1.1 & 1.4)
Need more points?
The Sound Exchange '26 Online Content: 5+ points (Category 1.2) (included in all masterclass registrations)
Optional Pre-Conference Workshop: 3 points (Category 1.4)
Meet The Speakers
Meet Harvey
Harvey Dillon is currently a part-time Professor at Macquarie University. He is best known for research into hearing aids but since leaving NAL has focused on researching auditory processing disorders and other causes of listening difficulties. Amongst his over 300 publications is a comprehensive text on hearing aids that is used widely throughout the world.
PROF HARVEY DILLON
Co-Stream Lead
Meet Harvey
Harvey Dillon is currently a part-time Professor at Macquarie University. He is best known for research into hearing aids but since leaving NAL has focused on researching auditory processing disorders and other causes of listening difficulties. Amongst his over 300 publications is a comprehensive text on hearing aids that is used widely throughout the world.
Macquarie University
Meet Lucy
Lucy Shiels is an audiologist working as a clinician, researcher, and educator at the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Hearing Care Clinic. She enjoys all aspects of diagnostic audiology but specialises in assessment and management of auditory processing and listening difficulties in neurodivergent children. Lucy's clinical research has focused on supporting classroom listening difficulties using assistive listening technology and improving accessibility to auditory processing assessments through remote approaches.
LUCY SHIELS
Co-Stream Lead
Meet Lucy
Lucy Shiels is an audiologist working as a clinician, researcher, and educator at the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Hearing Care Clinic. She enjoys all aspects of diagnostic audiology but specialises in assessment and management of auditory processing and listening difficulties in neurodivergent children. Lucy's clinical research has focused on supporting classroom listening difficulties using assistive listening technology and improving accessibility to auditory processing assessments through remote approaches.
University of Melbourne & Melbourne Hearing Care Clinic
Meet Grace
Dr Grace Nixon is an academic working as a researcher, and educator at the University of Melbourne. She completed her PhD and postdoctoral research in Auditory Processing Disorder specialising in the hearing-cognitive link in older adults, and telehealth approaches to APD assessments in children. Clinically she specialises in APD assessments at the Melbourne Hearing Care Clinic.
DR GRACE NIXON
Co-Stream Lead
Meet Grace
Dr Grace Nixon is an academic working as a researcher, and educator at the University of Melbourne. She completed her PhD and postdoctoral research in Auditory Processing Disorder specialising in the hearing-cognitive link in older adults, and telehealth approaches to APD assessments in children. Clinically she specialises in APD assessments at the Melbourne Hearing Care Clinic.
University of Melbourne & Melbourne Hearing Care Clinic
Meet Carolyn
Carolyn Mee is the founder and CEO of Sound Scouts, a digital hearing health company revolutionising hearing screening for children and adults. The Sound Scouts app, initially developed in collaboration with the National Acoustic Laboratories, is a clinically validated, game-based hearing screening app that has transformed access to hearing health services, particularly for those in rural and remote areas.
Previously funded by the Federal Government to facilitate access for schoolchildren, the Sound Scouts app has enabled more than 220,000 hearing checks across Australia. The company continues to play a vital role in identifying hearing issues, including auditory processing issues, that might otherwise be misdiagnosed as behavioural or learning difficulties.
Under Carolyn’s leadership, Sound Scouts has expanded internationally and remains at the forefront of equitable digital health innovation. Her achievements have been recognised with numerous awards, including the 2025 HLTH Foundation Techquity Award, the 2020 Women in Digital Innovator of the Year Award, and the 2019 Paediatric Digital Health Award in Austin, Texas. She was also named one of the AFR Westpac 100 Women of Influence.
Carolyn remains a passionate advocate for the early identification of hearing issues. She is committed to empowering both children and adults with greater awareness of their hearing health and ensuring they can access the resources needed to address treatable conditions.
Meet Carolyn
Carolyn Mee is the founder and CEO of Sound Scouts, a digital hearing health company revolutionising hearing screening for children and adults. The Sound Scouts app, initially developed in collaboration with the National Acoustic Laboratories, is a clinically validated, game-based hearing screening app that has transformed access to hearing health services, particularly for those in rural and remote areas.
Previously funded by the Federal Government to facilitate access for schoolchildren, the Sound Scouts app has enabled more than 220,000 hearing checks across Australia. The company continues to play a vital role in identifying hearing issues, including auditory processing issues, that might otherwise be misdiagnosed as behavioural or learning difficulties.
Under Carolyn’s leadership, Sound Scouts has expanded internationally and remains at the forefront of equitable digital health innovation. Her achievements have been recognised with numerous awards, including the 2025 HLTH Foundation Techquity Award, the 2020 Women in Digital Innovator of the Year Award, and the 2019 Paediatric Digital Health Award in Austin, Texas. She was also named one of the AFR Westpac 100 Women of Influence.
Carolyn remains a passionate advocate for the early identification of hearing issues. She is committed to empowering both children and adults with greater awareness of their hearing health and ensuring they can access the resources needed to address treatable conditions.
Sound Scouts
Meet Emma
Since 2015, Emma has run her own Independent Audiology practice on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. This has allowed Emma to embrace all the aspects of Audiology that she loves, including pediatric assessments, Auditory Processing Disorders, rehabilitation for Adults including Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants and mentoring early career Audiologists. She also has a special interest in Single Sided Deafness.
Prior to this, Emma worked at SCIC (Next Sense), Australian Hearing and the National Acoustic Laboratories. At NAL Emma was involved in various research including on Speech Perception in Noise and Outcomes for children with Hearing Impairment (The LOCHI study). Emma has served on the Executive committee of Independent Audiologists Australia.
Meet Emma
Since 2015, Emma has run her own Independent Audiology practice on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. This has allowed Emma to embrace all the aspects of Audiology that she loves, including pediatric assessments, Auditory Processing Disorders, rehabilitation for Adults including Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants and mentoring early career Audiologists. She also has a special interest in Single Sided Deafness.
Prior to this, Emma worked at SCIC (Next Sense), Australian Hearing and the National Acoustic Laboratories. At NAL Emma was involved in various research including on Speech Perception in Noise and Outcomes for children with Hearing Impairment (The LOCHI study). Emma has served on the Executive committee of Independent Audiologists Australia.
Pittwater Hearing
Meet Oskars
Oskars has practiced audiology since 2012 and has worked as a clinical audiologist and clinical educator at Macquarie University Health Speech and Hearing Clinic since 2016. His role involves seeing both adult and paediatric clients for hearing assessments and hearing rehabilitation, including the fitting of hearing aids and other devices, as well as conducting auditory processing assessments. As a clinical educator, Oskars is regularly accompanied by audiology master’s students undertaking clinical placements as part of their studies.
Meet Oskars
Oskars has practiced audiology since 2012 and has worked as a clinical audiologist and clinical educator at Macquarie University Health Speech and Hearing Clinic since 2016. His role involves seeing both adult and paediatric clients for hearing assessments and hearing rehabilitation, including the fitting of hearing aids and other devices, as well as conducting auditory processing assessments. As a clinical educator, Oskars is regularly accompanied by audiology master’s students undertaking clinical placements as part of their studies.
MQ Health Speech and Hearing Clinic
Meet Lisa
Having been in the hearing industry for over 15 years, Lisa has a deep expertise in supporting diverse customer needs. She works closely with customers across all sectors including Schools, Aged care, Aboriginal Medical Services, Hearing Specialist Services and Primary Healthcare. Lisa is passionate about breaking down barriers to ensure that everyone has access to the high-quality hearing care they deserve.
Beyond her professional life, she is the proud mother of two boys who keep her inspired and on her toes. Lisa genuinely loves working in this field as every
day presents a new opportunity to make a lasting difference in the way people experience the world.
Meet Lisa
Having been in the hearing industry for over 15 years, Lisa has a deep expertise in supporting diverse customer needs. She works closely with customers across all sectors including Schools, Aged care, Aboriginal Medical Services, Hearing Specialist Services and Primary Healthcare. Lisa is passionate about breaking down barriers to ensure that everyone has access to the high-quality hearing care they deserve.
Beyond her professional life, she is the proud mother of two boys who keep her inspired and on her toes. Lisa genuinely loves working in this field as every
day presents a new opportunity to make a lasting difference in the way people experience the world.
Sound Scouts
Meet Matthew
Matthew Barker is an audiologist who has been pursuing improvements in the auditory processing area since his doctoral research project in 2003 from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He began a research and development company called Acoustic Pioneer that focused on improving methods for testing auditory processing, particularly with younger listeners and also investigating ways to systematically improve any significant auditory processing
deficit. Starting in 2009, the developments and research of Acoustic Pioneer have produced a valid and reliable way of testing younger listeners auditory processing in an easy and engaging way as well as effective therapeutic intervention programs. These data have been published through Dr. Barker and co-authors in multiple internationally respected journals such as the International Journal of Audiology and the ASHA Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools. Currently the Acoustic Pioneer platform is being used in over 20 countries worldwide with the Feather Squadron battery having been administered over 30,000 times and over 10,000 therapy programs set up for deficit specific interventions. Dr. Barker has presented internationally on the subject and continues to strive for continued developments and research to support the audiology profession with evidence based strategies.
Meet Matthew
Matthew Barker is an audiologist who has been pursuing improvements in the auditory processing area since his doctoral research project in 2003 from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He began a research and development company called Acoustic Pioneer that focused on improving methods for testing auditory processing, particularly with younger listeners and also investigating ways to systematically improve any significant auditory processing
deficit. Starting in 2009, the developments and research of Acoustic Pioneer have produced a valid and reliable way of testing younger listeners auditory processing in an easy and engaging way as well as effective therapeutic intervention programs. These data have been published through Dr. Barker and co-authors in multiple internationally respected journals such as the International Journal of Audiology and the ASHA Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools. Currently the Acoustic Pioneer platform is being used in over 20 countries worldwide with the Feather Squadron battery having been administered over 30,000 times and over 10,000 therapy programs set up for deficit specific interventions. Dr. Barker has presented internationally on the subject and continues to strive for continued developments and research to support the audiology profession with evidence based strategies.
Acoustic Pioneer
(via live stream)
DAVID HARTLEY
Phonak
Sound Storm
GN Hearing
Jands
View The
Program
Tuesday, 12 May
8am-7pm
8am-7pm
9-9.05am
9.05-10.15am
10.15-10.30am
10.30-11am
11am-12.30pm
12.30-1.30pm
1.30-2.15pm
2.20-3pm
3-3.30pm
3.30-4.15pm
4.15-4.30pm
4.30-5pm
5-7pm
Wednesday, 13 May
8.30am-5pm
8.30am-3.30pm
9-9.50am
9.50-10.30am
10.30-11am
11am-12.30pm
12.30-1.30pm
1.30-2.30pm
2.30-3pm
3-3.30pm
3.30-4pm
3.30-5pm