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Enhancement of expressive language in prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants
R T Miyamoto1, M A Svirsky, A M Robbins
1DeVault Otologic Research Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
|March 1, 1997
Summary
Cochlear implants significantly improve expressive language skills in deaf children. Implanted children showed faster language growth, closing the gap with hearing peers and maintaining consistent development post-implantation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Developmental Linguistics
- Neuroscience of Hearing
Background:
- Prelingually deafened children face significant expressive language delays.
- Typical language development in profoundly deaf children without intervention is slow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of cochlear implantation on expressive language development in prelingually deafened children.
- To compare language growth rates in implanted versus unimplanted deaf children.
Main Methods:
- Assessed expressive language using Reynell Developmental Language Scales (RDLS) in 89 unimplanted and 23 implanted children.
- Compared post-implant RDLS scores to predicted scores based on maturation alone.
- Tracked language development at pre-implant, 6-month, and 12-month intervals.
Main Results:
- Implanted children showed significantly higher language scores at 12 months post-implantation than predicted.
- The rate of language growth in implanted children matched that of hearing peers.
- The gap between chronological and language age remained constant in implanted children.
Conclusions:
- Cochlear implantation accelerates expressive language development in prelingually deafened children.
- Early cochlear implantation (before age 3) may be particularly beneficial due to smaller initial language delays.
- While group data are encouraging, individual variability in response to cochlear implants is notable.