The Development of an Interventional Package on "Receptive Vocabulary" For Cochlear Implanted Children

Considering the shortage of language intervention protocols which specifically concentrate on cochlear implanted children and considering the importance of timely language intervention in this group of children, the aim of the present study was to develop an interventional package on "receptive vocabulary" for cochlear implanted children.

By reviewing the literature related to language acquisition theories in normal and language disordered children, as well as literature on production of intervention protocols, especially those for language impaired children, and also considering the normal process of language and speech development in normal children, the first draft of the intervention protocol was prepared. Then, the face and content validity of the intervention protocol was assessed by a Delphi team through three rounds and finally approved.

A language intervention protocol was developed to enhance receptive vocabulary in 12-48 months-old cochlear implanted children, based on cognitive, behavioral and developmental theories. This protocol includes 5 interventional stages: 1-Drilling and Imitation; 2-Modeling; 3-Motor training; 4-Deliberate error correction; 5- Reinstatement and Generalization. Each stage consists of the description of the aims of that stage, a list of techniques, the tools required, the detailed step by step explanation of the intervention, how re-enforcement must take place, and finally the indicators of success which permit to move forward to the next stage.

The interventional package produced is believed to facilitate language acquisition in cochlear implanted children, according to expert qualitative assessment and approval. Experimental research is required for verification of this assumption.