Effects of a word-learning training on children with cochlear implants

Area of Science:

• Pediatric audiology
• Developmental psychology
• Speech-language pathology

Background:

• Children with hearing loss using cochlear implants (CI) often experience vocabulary delays.
• These delays may stem from difficulties in rapid word learning compared to peers with normal hearing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the malleability of rapid word learning in preschoolers with CI.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a specific word-learning training intervention on rapid word learning.

Main Methods:

• Employed a single-subject, multiple probe design across 5 preschool children with CI and limited expressive vocabulary (<150 words).
• Conducted 10 weeks of bi-weekly training sessions focusing on identifying, repeating, and learning new words.
• Assessed rapid word-learning performance using a probe task (different words than training) across baseline, training, and maintenance phases.

Main Results:

• All participating children demonstrated significant improvements in receptive rapid word-learning performance following the training.
• The study established a functional relation between the word-learning training and enhanced rapid word learning.

Conclusions:

• Receptive rapid word-learning abilities in preschoolers with cochlear implants are adaptable and can be improved with targeted intervention.
• Findings suggest that specialized training can positively impact word acquisition in this population.