Primary school music education and the effect of auditory processing disorders: Pedagogical/ICT-based implications

Primary music education introduces children to the world of sound and music. For some children, however, auditory process disorders (APDs) act as a barrier to the comprehension of the sound elements, like rhythmic motives, variations, etc. The effect of APD in music perception is often neglected within classroom activities. This paper tries to shed light upon this effect, by focusing on duration comprehension. Experimental results from APD testing in pupils (9-12 yrs) from three Greek primary schools show that age influences the duration pattern sequence perception. Moreover, sensitivity in spatial sound information is increased in the age of 10 yrs. These results initiate some implications for ICT-based approach in music education that would foster adaptation to pupils' special needs during the educational process.