[Rehabilitation and assessment of aural-oral speech development in children with cochlear implants]

Updated models of cochlear implants provide good speech audibility and thus complete rehabilitation of children who have lost hearing after learning speech. All the children who lost hearing before learning speech can hear sounds of normal loudness and orient in sound media by means of cochlear implant. However, they need long-term audio-vocal rehabilitation the results of which depend on the age of the child's operation and hi(her) individual traits. Cochlear implants in children aged under 3 years are most perspective. Russian language methodology including 7 tests and 2 questionnaires is described. It is intended for assessment of audio-vocal development in children with cochlear implants and results of audio-vocal rehabilitation as well as of effectiveness of using cochlear implant in children over 2 years of age. Establishment of centers for cochlear implantation and introduction of cochlear implantation state program are recommended.