title: [The development of preverbal communication skills in Chinese deaf children with cochlear implants].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate preverbal communication skills in Chinese deaf children with cochlear implants, and to provide a basis for designing the habilitation program and establish a precursor for outcomes of habilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty children with cochlear implants participated in this study with a mean age of 32 months. They all had used the cochlear implant system within 12 months with a mean of 5. 8 months. All the children were diagnosed with prelingual profound hearing loss before cochlear implantation. Tait video analysis was used to analyze and assess the preverbal communication skills including turn-taking, autonomy, eye contact and auditory awareness. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 13.0 statistical software package with a criterion of statistical significance set at P < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The skill of turn-taking developed quickly within 12 months after cochlear implantation. The vocal turn developed in a similar pattern, and the score of gesture turn decreased slowly. The skills of autonomy and appropriate eye contact showed small changes over time at a lower level. The score of auditory awareness increased gradually after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children established a vocal/auditory mode of early communicative behavior following cochlear implantation. They preferred to communicate with others in a more vocal style. Video analysis is a useful tool to assess preverbal communication skills in deaf children with cochlear implants in China.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China
authors.forename: Xueqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dongxu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Shusheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male