Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026
06:04
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
[Young children's use of communication functions before and after cochlear implants]
Inge Kaltenbrünn1, Brenda Louw, René Hugo
1Departement Kommunikasiepatologie, Universiteit van Pretoria.
Summary
Cochlear implants enhance communication skills in young children with profound hearing loss. Early intentional communication significantly influences their language development post-implantation, aiding clinical decisions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Developmental psychology
- Speech-language pathology
Context:
- Assessing communication functions in young children with cochlear implants (CIs).
- Understanding the impact of pre-implantation communication on post-implantation skills.
- Utilizing video recordings and the Communicative Intention Inventory for data collection.
Purpose:
- To investigate how early intentional communication influences the development of communication skills in children with CIs.
- To analyze changes in communication functions before and after cochlear implantation.
- To identify factors contributing to variability in verbal communication development.
Summary:
- Five young children with CIs were studied through video recordings of free play interactions before and after implantation.
- Analysis focused on communication functions using the Communicative Intention Inventory.
- Results indicated improved conversational abilities and variability linked to informative/heuristic functions.
Impact:
- Findings inform clinical decisions on CI suitability and therapeutic management for children under three with profound hearing loss.
- Contributes to an objective protocol for evaluating prelinguistic communication in this population.
- Highlights the importance of early communication assessment for CI candidates.
