Speech perception abilities in children with cochlear implants or hearing aids

This investigation evaluates the effect of communication method on auditory perceptual development; specifically, speech perception skills in children with little or no residual hearing utilizing cochlear implants, compared to children with some residual hearing who utilize hearing aids. Five speech perception measures assessing pattern perception, spondee and monosyllable word identification, and closed- and open-set speech recognition were administered to 68 prelingual profoundly hearing-impaired children with either hearing aids or cochlear implants. The data suggest that significant differences in performance on some of the speech perception measures are present for children educated in oral programs compared to those educated in total communication settings. This effect was greatest for hearing aid users. Additionally, performance trends suggest that oral multichannel implant users score higher on selected tests than do children using a single-channel implant or a hearing aid. These results have important implications for accelerating speech perception development and maximizing rehabilitation effects in children with cochlear implants or hearing aids.