title: Functional performance among children with cochlear implants and additional disabilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess daily functional skills among young cochlear implant (CI) recipients with additional disabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with CI and developmental disabilities and a hearing control group containing similar ages and similar disabilities were enrolled in a cross-sectional study of language and functional skills. Daily functional skills were measured using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), which provides standard and scaled scores in Self-Care, Mobility, and Social Functioning domains. Language was assessed using the Preschool Language Scales, 4th edition which provides standard scores and age equivalents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen children with CIs and seven hearing controls were included in this analysis. Most children in this study (90.5%) had cognitive disabilities and 57% had motor disabilities. Compared with the hearing controls, children with CIs were less likely to have functional independence in any PEDI domain. Children with CI had significantly lower median social functioning standard scores compared with controls (17.3 vs. 27.5, P = 0.009). After controlling for nonverbal cognitive abilities and language level, the difference was no longer significant (19.1 vs. 24, P = 0.3). Among children with CI, age at implant and duration with device were not associated (P > 0.4) with PEDI scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although children with CI and developmental disabilities had similar functional skills as hearing children with similar disabilities regarding the PEDI domains of Self-Care and Mobility, they had lower Social Function standard scores. This lower social functioning among children with implants may be related to lower language levels and possible language deficits seen in the CI group. Regular assessments of functional abilities coupled with language abilities are essential in providing every child with the opportunity for maximizing the potential for independence.
authors: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA. Jareen.Meinzen-Derr@cchmc.org
authors: Jareen
authors: J
authors: Meinzen-Derr
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Wiley
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Grether
authors: Daniel I
authors: DI
authors: Choo
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome