PURPOSE: to compare the performance of adults with auditory processing disorder in behavioral tests before and after formal auditory training, in order to verify the effectiveness of this approach. METHODS: this is a quantitative retrospective study for which we selected 18 individuals with auditory processing disorders evidenced by the behavioral assessment, aged between 16 and 38 years old. All subjects underwent a formal auditory training program conducted in eight sessions of 45 minutes each, twice a week. Sessions were organized in ascending order of complexity of the listening skills srech as, auditory closure, figure-ground for sentences, words, syllables and sounds and nonverbal temporal processing of sounds (analysis of the intensity, duration and frequency). For statistical purposes the results of the SSW test SSI (ICM) and Duration and frequency pattern recognitive obtained before and after auditory training, considering the ear and sex variables. RESULTS: there were no statistically significant differences between the right and left ears. Both men and women when analyzed separately showed better results in post-training. These differences were statistically significant in for duration and frequency pattern tests, for men and women. In SSW improvement in male and SSI R / S -15 females, respectively. In addition, all subjects reported better attention and better communicative performance after auditory training. CONCLUSION: the formal auditory training improves listening skills figure - ground for verbal sounds and temporal processing measured by behavioral tests in adults diagnosed with auditory processing disorders.