Article
Use of standardized language acquisition tests in early cochlear implanted children
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Published: | August 3, 2011 |
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Introduction: Since January 2010 we evaluate every child, cochlear implanted at the ENT clinic of the Medical University of Hannover, with a battery of questionnaires and language acquisition tests, standardized for normal hearing children.
We want to compare language acquisition of children with cochlear implant to the development of language in normal hearing children. Further on, we hope to find evidence for children with special needs in language acquisition after cochlear implantation.
Method: In an ongoing survey we scale children, cochlear implanted during the first three years of their life, with a battery of questionnaires and language acquisition tests, and compare the results with those of same aged normal hearing children. Up to now we tested 15 children with „Sprachentwicklungstest für zweijährige Kinder“ (SETK 2), 20 children with „Sprachentwicklungstest für drei- bis fünfjährige Kinder“ (SETK 3–5) and 26 preschoolers and first-graders between five and seven years old with “Marburger Sprachverständnistest für Kinder” (MSVK).
Results: Children, cochlear implanted in their first year of life can be evaluated with SETK 2 and SETK 3–5 and show linguistic skills comparable to the average results of same aged normal hearing children. Also children, implanted in their second year of life are able to reach average results in the SETK 3–5. We found that children, implanted in their third year of life, seem to have more difficulties. Especially in the semantic and syntactic fields of the SETK 3–5 and the MSVK, some of them reach results below the average of normal hearing children. However the use of these tests is suitable for evaluating language acquisition in early implanted children.
Conclusion: We need to collect more data for a statistical analysis. For interpretation we have to consider the duration of hearing with CI. Some subtests seem to have a great relevance for planning therapy and for recommendation of adequate kind of school.