Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Realization of complex onsets by pediatric users of cochlear implants
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, IN 46202-5119, USA. schin@iupui.edu
Abstract:
This study examined variations in English complex onset realizations by children who use cochlear implants. Data consisted of 227 productions of two-segment onset clusters from 12 children. In general, onset cluster realizations of children with cochlear implants did not differ markedly from those reported for children with normal hearing: null realizations were rare or nonexistent, there were few epenthetic realizations, one-segment realizations generally respected sonority principles, and two-segment realizations reflected singleton constraints. Further examination also revealed that the basis for variation among the children with cochlear implants could be attributed to differences in constraint rankings within Optimality Theory. Differences in constraint rankings could thus account for variations in the number of output segments, in the role of sonority in reduction, and in relationships between segmental and featural faithfulness.
Related Concept Videos
Hearing
The Cochlea
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
The Auditory Ossicles
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Auditory Perception