A study of correlates of speech production performance--an ecological approach

The purpose of the present study was to identify and analyze predictors of speech production performance of hearing-impaired children. Teachers' ratings of 327 elementary school hearing-impaired students were studied in relation to demographic characteristics of the students, parental demographic characteristics, and educational treatment parameters. Better performance was found to be associated with better hearing, higher socioeconomic status of the family, consistent use of amplification, and later commencing of preschool training. These findings held when other variables were statistically controlled. The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are made.