TY - JOUR
TI - Age at implantation and development of vocal and auditory preverbal
skills in implanted deaf children
AU - Tait, M. E.
AU - Nikolopoulos, T. P.
AU - Lutman, M. E.
JO - International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
PY - 2007
VL - 71
TODO - 4
SP - 603-610
PB - Elsevier Ireland Ltd
SN - 0165-5876
TODO - 10.1016/j.ijporl.2006.12.010
TODO - language development; speech perception; Cochlear implant; prediction;
vocal; auditory; communication; preverbal; observation; interaction;
deaf; children; outcome
TODO - Background: Preverbal vocal and auditory skills are essential precursors
of spoken language development. and they have been shown previously to
predict later speech perception and production outcomes in young
implanted deaf children.
Objectives: To assess the effect of age at implantation on the
development of vocal and auditory preverbal. skills in implanted
children.
Methods: The study assessed 99 children, 33 in each of three groups
(those implanted between 1 and 2 years; 2 and 3 years; and 3 and 4
years). Preverbal. skills were measured in three areas: turn taking,
autonomy and auditory awareness of spoken language, using the Tait video
analysis method.
Results: The youngest implanted group made an exceptional progress
outperforming in all measures the two other groups (p < 0.01), 6 and 12
months post-implantation, whereas there was no such difference before
implantation. In the youngest group there was also significantly greater
use of an auditory/oral style of communication: 85% of the group by 12
months post-implantation compared with 30% and 18% of the two older
groups.
Conclusions: Vocal and auditory preverbal skills develop much more
rapidly in children implanted between 1 and 2 years in comparison with
older implanted children and reach a significantly higher level by 6 and
12 months post-implantation. In addition, younger implanted children are
significantly more likely by 12 months post-implantation to adopt an
auditory/oral mode of communication. These findings favour cochlear
implantation as early as between 1 and 2 years, provided that correct
diagnosis and adequate hearing-aid trial have been achieved. (c) 2007
Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
ER -