Johanna G. Nicholas|Ann E. Geers
Effects of Early Auditory Experience on the Spoken Language of Deaf Children at 3 Years of Age
Central Institute for the Deaf|The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center|Central Institute for the Deaf|The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
age 3 typically developing children achieved extensive vocabulary syntax skills facilitate cognitive social development substantial delays spoken language acquisition documented children severe profound deafness even auditory oral training early hearing aid use study documents spoken language skills achieved orally educated 3yrolds whose profound hearing loss identified hearing aids fitted 1 30 mo age received cochlear implant 12 38 mo age purpose analysis examine effects age duration type early auditory experience spoken language competence age 35 yrthe spoken language skills 76 children used cochlear implant least 7 mo evaluated via standardized 30minute language sample analysis parentcompleted vocabulary checklist teacher languagerating scale children recruited enrolled oral education programs therapy practices across united states inclusion criteria included presumed deaf since birth english primary language home known conditions interfere speechlanguage development enrolled programs using oral education methods known problems cochlear implant lasting 30 daysstrong correlations obtained among language measures therefore principal components analysis used derive single language factor score child number possible predictors language outcome examined including age identification intervention hearing aid duration use hearing aid preimplant puretone average pta threshold hearing aid pta threshold cochlear implant duration use cochlear implantage implantation last two variables practically identical children tested 40 44 mo age examination independent influence predictors multiple regression analysis revealed preimplantaided pta threshold duration cochlear implant use ie age implant accounted 58 variance language factor scores significant negative coefficient associated preimplantaided threshold indicated children poorer hearing implantation exhibited poorer language skills age 35 yr likewise strong positive coefficient associated duration implant use indicated children used implant longer period time ie implanted earlier age exhibited better language age 35 yr age identification amplification unrelated language outcome aided threshold cochlear implant significant quadratic trend relation duration implant use language score revealed steady increase language skill age 35 yr additional month use cochlear implant first 12 mo implant use advantage language longer implant use became pronounced timelonger use cochlear implant infancy early childhood dramatically affects amount spoken language exhibited 3yrold profoundly deaf children sample amount preimplant intervention hearing aid related language outcome 35 yr age rather cochlear implantation younger age served promote spoken language competence previously identified languagefacilitating factors early identification hearing impairment early educational intervention may sufficient optimizing spoken language profoundly deaf children unless leads early cochlear implantation