Early educational placement and later language outcomes for children with cochlear implants.
OBJECTIVE
This investigation examined the hypothesis that the type of preschool intervention provided to children who receive a cochlear implant affects their language scores at school entry.


BACKGROUND
Recent research has documented faster language acquisition when children attend specialized preschool programs beginning at age 3 years. We hypothesized that if similar intervention were initiated before age 3 years, the rate of language acquisition might increase even more.


METHODS
Thirty-nine listening and spoken language (LSL) programs located in 20 different states across the United States contributed language test scores for 141 five- and six-year-olds who had used a cochlear implant for at least 1 year. A retrospective analysis compared outcomes at 5 to 6 years based on interventions received each year before age 5 years: 1) individual parent-infant intervention; 2) LSL class with only deaf children, or 3) LSL class with 1 or more hearing children.


RESULTS
The specific type of intervention at ages 1 and 2 years provided a lasting positive impact on language, at least until kindergarten. The probability that a child would reach normal language levels by kindergarten increased significantly if, at age 1 year, intervention included a combination of cochlear implant use and parent-infant intervention and, at age 2 years, a LSL class with other deaf children was added.


CONCLUSIONS
These results favor providing a cochlear implant by age 1 year and supplementing early parent-infant intervention with an intensive toddler class designed specifically for developing spoken language in children with hearing loss by age 2 years.
Moog
Jean Sachar
JS
Moog Center for Deaf Education, St. Louis, Missouri 63141, USA. jmoog@moogcenter.org
Geers
Ann E
AE
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D004519:Education, Special / Q000379:methods*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D007807:Language Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome