Changes in speech production in an early deafened adult with a cochlear implant.
OBJECTIVE
The current study is a first investigation reporting the speech production characteristics of an early deafened adult cochlear implant user after a course of speech-language treatment.


METHODS
The participant is culturally deaf and received the cochlear implant when she was 43 years old. A 24-week ABCABC single-subject treatment programme was conducted addressing articulation, the oral production of printed words, and voice production, with two 4-week segments for each area.


RESULTS
Treatment-specific progress, revealed by untrained stimuli, was made in areas of articulation and oral production of printed words, but not voice production. Formal measures also confirmed the patient's progress.


CONCLUSIONS
These results were discussed in relation to how long-term reduction of general auditory input and under-use of the speech production mechanisms can be remediated by technological and behavioural treatment.
Wong
Patrick C M
PC
The Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Institute for Neuro-Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. p.wong@northwestern.edu
D000328:Adult; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003142:Communication; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D016896:Treatment Outcome