Measuring progress in children with autism spectrum disorder who have cochlear implants

To quantify progress after cochlear implantation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Retrospective review of speech and language and speech perception test scores of children with autism who have received a cochlear implant at our center.

University of Michigan Medical Center, Cochlear Implant Program.

Six children, ages 3 to 16 years, who received cochlear implants at the our center. All children were diagnosed as having ASD by a neuropsychologist, either before or after receiving a cochlear implant.

Children participated in preoperative and postoperative speech and language and speech perception testing. A survey was administered to parents to evaluate subjective impressions of cochlear implant benefit and quality of life before and after implantation.

Improved scores were recorded for children on whom standardized expressive and receptive vocabulary testing was possible. Children who could not complete standardized tests demonstrated improvement in raw scores. Improvement on the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale was noted for the 4 of 7 children who completed the scale preoperatively and postoperatively. Survey results suggested changes in responsiveness to sound, interest in music, vocalization, and eye contact following implantation. Five of the 6 families indicated that they would recommend a cochlear implant to another family in a similar situation.

Gains made by children in our study were small compared with the general implant population; however, when compared with themselves preoperatively, these children did demonstrate progress. Improvements in behaviors and interaction point to a quality of life benefit following implantation that is difficult to quantify.