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Updated: Feb 11, 2026
Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process
Published on: June 21, 2024
Auditory skills development among children with developmental delays and cochlear implants
Susan Wiley1, Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Daniel Choo
1Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
Insights
Young children with cochlear implants and developmental delay show auditory skills progress. Cognitive quotient is a better predictor of progress than disability type.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Cochlear implantation is a critical intervention for hearing loss in young children.
- Understanding auditory skill development in children with cochlear implants (CIs) and co-occurring developmental delay is essential for optimizing outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate auditory skills outcomes in young children who received cochlear implants before 36 months of age, with a focus on the impact of developmental delay.
- To compare auditory progress between children with and without additional disabilities and to explore the role of cognitive developmental quotients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 35 children who received cochlear implants before 36 months of age.
- Auditory skills were assessed using the Auditory Skills Checklist at 12 months postimplantation.
- Children were categorized based on the presence of additional disabilities and cognitive developmental quotient (DQ).
Main Results:
- Children with additional disabilities showed similar rates of auditory skills progress as those without disabilities, but started with lower baseline skills.
- Children with a developmental quotient (DQ) of 80 or higher demonstrated twice the rate of auditory skills progress compared to those with a DQ less than 80.
- A lower DQ (<80) was associated with reduced likelihood of developing skills in sound discrimination and identification within the first year post-CI.
Conclusions:
- Young children with cochlear implants and additional disabilities demonstrate auditory skills progress, though higher-level skills like identification and comprehension may take longer to develop.
- Cognitive developmental quotient appears to be a more predictive factor for auditory skill development post-cochlear implantation than the presence of a disability alone.
Objectives:
We sought to understand auditory skills outcomes in young children with cochlear implants and developmental delay.
Methods:
Children who received cochlear implants at less than 36 months of age were identified via chart review. Their postimplant auditory skills outcomes were measured with the Auditory Skills Checklist.
Results:
Of 35 children who received cochlear implants before the age of 36 months, 14 children (40%) had additional disabilities or some form of developmental delay. The 12-month postimplant data indicated progress in all groups of children. Children with additional disabilities had the same rate of auditory skills progress as children with no additional disabilities (beta = 9.3 versus 9.3; p = 0.5). However, the children with additional disabilities tended to start at a lower baseline skills set (approximately 6 points lower) on the Auditory Skills Checklist. For children with average developmental quotients (at least 80), the rate of progress was twice that of children with a developmental quotient of less than 80, irrespective of a developmental disability (beta = 9.9 versus 4.8; p = 0.03). Children with a developmental quotient of less than 80 were less likely to gain skills in discrimination and identification after the first postimplant year.
Conclusions:
Children with additional disabilities make progress in auditory skills, but may not develop higher auditory skills of identification and comprehension within the first 6 months after implantation. Categorizing children according to a cognitive developmental quotient may provide more predictive ability than does categorizing them by disability type.
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