title: Assessment package for language development in Japanese hearing-impaired children (ALADJIN) as a test battery for the development of practical communication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The measurement of language development in hearing-impaired children is an important step in assessing the appropriateness of an intervention. We proposed a set of language tests (the Assessment Package for Language Development in Japanese Hearing-Impaired Children [ALADJIN]) to evaluate the development of practical communication skills. This package consisted of communication skills (TQAID), comprehensive (PVT-R and SCTAW) and productive vocabulary (WFT), comprehensive and productive syntax (STA), and the STRAW.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 638 children with greater than 70-dB hearing impairment were subjected to this set of language tests. Additional tests, including the PARS, the RCPM, and parental questionnaires, were administered to assess the backgrounds of the children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A trimodal distribution was observed among hearing-impaired children by the histogram-based analysis of each test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ALADJIN is a useful Japanese-language evaluation kit for hearing-impaired children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University Postgraduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Kana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omori
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sugaya
authors.forename: Akie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujiyoshi
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Syuuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugishita
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishizaki
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000592:standards; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000592:standards; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007804:Language Development; D007807:Language Tests / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014825:Vocabulary