Receptive speech in early implanted children later diagnosed with autism

Area of Science:

• Pediatric audiology
• Developmental neuroscience
• Clinical psychology

Background:

• Rising incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) globally.
• Increasing diagnosis of ASD in children with congenital hearing loss.
• Challenges in diagnosing developmental delays in young children with co-occurring conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate auditory perception and speech intelligibility in implanted children with profound congenital hearing loss and ASD.
• To compare developmental outcomes between children with ASD and typically developing peers post-cochlear implantation.

Main Methods:

• Cochlear implantation in 14 children (4 with ASD, 10 typically developing).
• Intensive postoperative speech and hearing therapy.
• Assessment using Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) over 5 years.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD exhibited slower auditory processing development.
• Speech intelligibility in children with ASD reached at best Category 2, with minimal progress.
• Autistic features significantly impacted communication skills, despite therapy.

Conclusions:

• Recommend expanding preoperative psychological assessments for early ASD detection in deaf infants.
• Emphasize the importance of considering ASD in cochlear implant programs for hearing-impaired children.