Cognitive potential of children and adolescents with CHARGE syndrome and deafblindness

The present study aimed to test the hypothesis stating that the cognitive potential of individuals with deafblindness is equal to those without a deafblind condition, an assumption that until now has been empirically unsubstantiated within the field of deafblindness.

To explore the assumption, 15 children and adolescents with CHARGE underwent cognitive assessment with WISC-V using a sequential two-level assessment design. The 1st level involved standardized test conditions. The 2nd level was designed as a continuation of the performances obtained from the 1st level and involved accommodations to compensate for sensory motor impairment. Statistical procedures involved the sample as a whole and when divided into two subgroups: (i) participants with CHARGE without deafblindness; (ii) participants with CHARGE and deafblindness using the 1st level scores as base line.

Although results showed significantly lower scores in the deafblind subgroup with standardized procedures, they approximated the others after accommodating for their sensory deficits. This positive increase proved significant.

Findings supported the assumption of equal cognitive potential of individuals with and without deafblindness. Results indicated that the children and adolescents with deafblindness had most effect of the accommodations, enabling them to approximate the results of the subgroup without deafblindness. These gains were attributed enhanced accessibility endorsed by the accommodations and represented the participants latent cognitive dispositions only realized under certain circumstances.