Language and Reading Progress of Young Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children.

We examined the language and reading progress of 336 young DHH children in kindergarten, first and second grades. Trained assessors tested children's language, reading, and spoken and fingerspelled phonological awareness in the fall and spring of the school year. Children were divided into groups based on their auditory access and classroom communication: a spoken-only group (n = 101), a sign-only group (n = 131), and a bimodal group (n = 104). Overall, children showed delays in language and reading compared to norms established for hearing children. For language, vocabulary standard scores were higher than for English syntax. Although delayed in language, children made expected gains based on hearing norms from kindergarten to second grade. Reading scores declined from kindergarten to second grade. Spoken-only and bimodal children had similar word reading and reading comprehension abilities and higher scores than sign-only children. Spoken-only children had better spoken phonological awareness and nonword reading skills than the other two groups. The sign-only and bimodal groups made similar and significant gains in ASL syntax and fingerspelling phonological awareness

The contribution of verbal working memory to deaf children's oral and written production

open3noopenArfé, Barbara; Rossi, Cristina; Sicoli, SilviaArfe', Barbara; Rossi, Cristina; Sicoli, Silvi

Evaluation of core vocabulary therapy for deaf children: Four treatment case studies

This study evaluated whether core vocabulary intervention (CVT) improved single word speech accuracy, consistency and intelligibility in four 9−11-year-old children with profound sensori-neural deafness fitted with cochlear implants and/or digital hearing aids. Their speech was characterized by inconsistent production of different error forms for the same lexical item. The children received twice weekly therapy sessions for eight weeks. Fifty target words were drilled and changes in production assessed for accuracy and consistency. Generalization of consistency and accuracy was assessed on non-targeted words. There were four assessment points: six weeks pre-therapy; immediately before therapy; immediately following therapy and six weeks post-therapy. In addition, 10 unfamiliar listeners judged the intelligibility of audio recordings of the children’s speech before and after therapy. The children’s consistency and accuracy of single word production improved following CVT. Consistency generalized to untreated words. Sentence intelligibility ratings improved and more target words were identified after therapy. These case studies suggest that CVT merits further investigation as an effective intervention approach for deaf children, enhancing consistency, accuracy and intelligibility of speech

Literacy Development in School-Aged Children With Simultaneous Bilateral Cochlear Implants

This 2-year study investigated the literacy development of school-aged children who were born deaf and received simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants at the age of 2 years old or younger. All participants lived in Ontario, Canada, and were identified with a hearing loss through UNHS or an Audiologist between birth and 21 months of age. Eight students, 2 females and 6 males, ranged in age between 5.5 and 9.1 years old, placing them in senior kindergarten to Grade 4 at initial time of testing. One participant withdrew after Phase 1, therefore data analysis was conducted on 7 participants. Levels of achievement in reading, writing, language, and phonological processing were measured through standardized assessment tools appropriate for school-aged children: the Clinical Evaluation of Language FundamentalsFifth Edition (Wiig, Semel, & Secord, 2013), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition (Dunn & Dunn, 2007), The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 2001) and the Woodcock-Johnson Test of AchievementIII (Schrank, Mather, & Woodcock, 2004). Writing samples were assessed using A Guide to Effective Instruction in Writing, Kindergarten to Grade 3 (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005), and The Ontario Curriculum: Exemplars, Grades 18: Writing (Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, 1999). Overall, the results of the study indicate that this cohort of 7 students demonstrates average achievement in reading, receptive and expressive language, vocabulary, and phonological awareness that is within age norms. It is only in the area of writing that age-appropriate outcomes are not being achieved. It is also worth noting that, of the children in this group, those who received their implants before 12 months showed the strongest performance is all areas

Variability of Early Literacy Skills In Children with Hearing Impairment

abstract: Children with hearing impairment are at risk for poor attainment in reading decoding and reading comprehension, which suggests they may have difficulty with early literacy skills prior to learning to read. The first purpose of this study was to determine if young children with hearing impairment differ from their peers with normal hearing on early literacy skills and also on three known predictors of early literacy skills – non-verbal cognition, executive functioning, and home literacy environment. A second purpose was to determine if strengths and weaknesses in early literacy skills of individual children with hearing impairment are associated with degree of hearing loss, non-verbal cognitive ability, or executive functioning. I assessed seven children with normal hearing and 10 children with hearing impairment on assessments of expressive vocabulary, expressive morphosyntax, listening comprehension, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, non-verbal cognition, and executive functioning. Two children had unilateral hearing loss, two had mild hearing loss and used hearing aids, two had moderate hearing loss and used hearing aids, one child had mild hearing loss and did not use hearing aids, and three children used bilateral cochlear implants. Parents completed a questionnaire about their home literacy environment. Findings showed large between-group effect sizes for phonological awareness, morphosyntax, and executive functioning, and medium between-group effect sizes for expressive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and non-verbal cognition. Visual analyses provided no clear pattern to suggest that non-verbal cognition or degree of hearing loss were associated with individual patterns of performance for children with hearing impairment; however, three children who seemed at risk for reading difficulties had executive functioning scores that were at the floor. Most prekindergarten and kindergarten children with hearing impairment in this study appeared to be at risk for future reading decoding and reading comprehension difficulties. Further, based on individual patterns of performance, risk was not restricted to one type of early literacy skill and a strength in one skill did not necessarily indicate a child would have strengths in all early literacy skills. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate all early literacy skills to pinpoint skill deficits and to prioritize intervention goals.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Speech and Hearing Science 201

Deaf children need language, not (just) speech

Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children need to master at least one language (spoken or signed) to reach their full potential. Providing access to a natural sign language supports this goal. Despite evidence that natural sign languages are beneficial to DHH children, many researchers and practitioners advise families to focus exclusively on spoken language. We critique the Pediatrics article ‘Early Sign Language Exposure and Cochlear Implants’ (Geers et al., 2017) as an example of research that makes unsupported claims against the inclusion of natural sign languages. We refute claims that (1) there are harmful effects of sign language and (2) that listening and spoken language are necessary for optimal development of deaf children. While practical challenges remain (and are discussed) for providing a sign language-rich environment, research evidence suggests that such challenges are worth tackling in light of natural sign languages providing a host of benefits for DHH children – especially in the prevention and reduction of language deprivation.Accepted manuscrip

Uticaj slušnih pomagala na auditivnu percepciju i neposredno verbalno pamćenje kod dece sa bimodalnom stimulacijom

Introduction: The combination of electric stimulation from cochlear implant (CI) with acoustic stimulation from hearing aid (HA), otherwise known as bimodal hearing, may provide several binaural benefits including binaural summation, binaural squelch, reduction of the head shadow effect, and improved localization. Purpose: This study investigated the influence of preoperative rehabilitation and bilateral HA use, bimodal stimulation post-implantation (CI on one ear and HA on the non-implanted ear) and hearing thresholds in the verbal short-term memory. Method: Immediate verbal memory test for Serbian language consisting of four subtests was used for auditory perception testing on 21 pre-lingually deaf children. Results: Duration of bimodal hearing proved to be significant in the terms of auditory perception and verbal short-term memory. Mid- and high-frequency amplified thresholds on the non-implanted ear were correlated with poorer perception and reproduction of monosyllables and nonsense words. Conclusion: Duration of bimodal hearing proved to be significant in the terms of auditory perception, speech reproduction and semantic ability. Patients with a unilateral cochlear implant who have measurable residual hearing in the non-implanted ear should be individually fitted with a hearing aid in that ear, to improve speech perception and maximize binaural sensitivity.Kombinacija električne stimulacije kohlearnog implanta (KI) i akustične stimulacije slušnog pomagala (SP), poznata kao bimodalni sluh, može imati razne binauralne prednosti koje uključuju binauralnu stimulaciju, binauralno sažimanje, redukciju eho efekta i unapređenje lokalizacije izvora zvuka. Cilj: U ovom istraživanju je ispitan uticaj preoperativne rehabilitacije i upotrebe bilateralnog slušnog pomagala, bimodalne stimulacije nakon implantacije (KI na jednom uhu i SP na neimplantiranom uhu) i pragova sluha u implantiranom i neimplantiranom uhu na auditivnu percepciju i verbalno kratkotrajno pamćenje. Metod: Za ispitivanje auditivne percepcije kod dvadeset jednog prelingvalno gluvog deteta korišćen je Test za ispitivanje verbalnog pamćenja za srpski jezik, koji se sastoji od četiri podtesta. Rezultati: Pokazalo se da je trajanje bimodalnog sluha značajno kod auditivne percepcije i verbalnog kratkotrajnog pamćenja. Povećani pragovi srednje i visoke frekvencije na neimplantiranom uhu bili su u korelaciji sa slabijom percepcijom i reprodukcijom jednosložnih i besmislenih reči. Zaključak: Pokazalo se da je trajanje bimodalnog sluha značajno za auditivnu percepciju, reprodukciju govora i semantičku sposobnost. Pacijentima sa unilateralnim kohlearnim implantom, sa merljivim rezidualnim sluhom na neimplantiranom uhu, trebalo bi ugraditi slušno pomagalo u to uho, kako bi se poboljšala percepcija govora i maksimizovala binauralna osetljivost

Variations in phonological working memory: linking early language experiences and language learning outcomes

In order to build complex language from perceptual input, children must have access to a powerful information processing system that can analyze, store, and use regularities in the signal to which the child is exposed. In this article, we propose that one of the most important parts of this underlying machinery is the linked set of cognitive and language processing components that comprise the child's developing working memory (WM). To examine this hypothesis, we explore how variations in the timing, quality, and quantity of language input during the earliest stages of development are related to variations in WM, especially phonological WM (PWM), and in turn language learning outcomes. In order to tease apart the relationships between early language experience, WM, and language development, we review research findings from studies of groups of language learners who clearly differ with respect to these aspects of input. Specifically, we consider the development of PWM in children with delayed exposure to language, that is, children born profoundly deaf and exposed to oral language following cochlear implantation and internationally adopted children who have delayed exposed to the adoption language; children who experience impoverished language input, that is, children who experience early bouts of otitis media and signing deaf children born to nonsigning hearing parents; and children with enriched early language input, that is, simultaneous bilinguals and second language learners

Early exposure to both sign and spoken language for children who are deaf or hard of hearing: Might it help spoken language development?

The literature on the benefits and deficits of bilingualism is reviewed with an emphasis on sign/spoken bilingualism and on the population of deaf or hard of hearing children. Since there are a limited number of reports on sign/spoken bilingualism for these children, a research plan is outlined for a large study whose results could have a significant impact on oral education policy and spoken language development in deaf or hard of hearing children