Auditory perception and speech recognition outcomes in Syrian refugee children with cochlear implants

Limited studies have examined the prevalence of hearing loss among Syrian refugees living in Turkey, where it is anticipated to be higher compared to the general population. 430,148 Syrian refugees live in Gaziantep province, where this study was conducted. This study aimed to examine the auditory perception, word and sentence comprehension, and speech recognition outcomes of Syrian refugee children who underwent cochlear implantation (CI).

Among 960 individuals who underwent CI surgery between August 2015 and April 2023, 135 (14.6%) were Syrian refugee children. The Arabic version of the Evaluation of Auditory Responses to Speech (EARS) test battery was used to assess language development and auditory perception levels of the Syrian refugees.

Data on auditory perception and speech recognition from 30 Syrian refugee children with CI were analyzed.

CI was performed in Syrian refugee children at an average age of 39.57 ± 17.56 months. Findings of the study showed that the socioeconomic conditions of the Syrian refugee group were quite limited, with 93.33% of participants not receiving regular special education. It was observed that the age of access to CI was delayed for Syrian refugee children. EARS test scores for Syrian refugee CI users were significantly lower than normative values (p < 0.05).

Despite using CIs, many Syrian refugee children demonstrated lower-than-expected performance in auditory and language development, likely owing to socioeconomic disadvantages, lack of access to special education, and delayed implantation. These findings highlight the need for early diagnosis, timely implantation, and effective rehabilitation programs for refugee children.