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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Development of a communicative performance scale for pediatric cochlear implantation
Frank R Lin1, Kristin Ceh, Deborah Bervinchak
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. flin1@jhmi.edu
Ear and Hearing
|September 7, 2007
Summary
A new scale, the Functioning after Pediatric Cochlear Implantation (FAPCI) instrument, assesses real-world communication in deaf children with cochlear implants. Higher scores correlate with longer implant use, indicating improved communicative performance over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Speech-language pathology
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Verbal communication is crucial for deaf children's development after cochlear implantation.
- Existing tools lack validation for assessing real-world communicative abilities in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically develop and validate the Functioning after Pediatric Cochlear Implantation (FAPCI) instrument.
- To create a family-centered scale measuring communicative performance based on the WHO's functioning model.
Main Methods:
- Instrument development involved literature review, focus groups, and interviews with parents and experts.
- Psychometric validation utilized factor analysis and a cross-sectional sample of 75 parents.
- Nomological validity was assessed by examining the association between FAPCI scores and duration of cochlear implant use.
Main Results:
- The 23-item FAPCI instrument is a unidimensional scale for assessing real-world communication in children aged 2-5 years.
- The scale demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha >= 0.86) and strong evidence of nomological validity.
- FAPCI scores significantly correlated with duration of cochlear implant use, with maximal scores achieved after 4 years.
Conclusions:
- The FAPCI is the first validated instrument to measure the real-world communicative performance of children with cochlear implants.
- Its systematic development process may allow FAPCI to detect other communication disorders or serve as a model for future instrument development.
