title: Rate of language growth in children with hearing loss in an auditory-verbal early intervention program.
abstract: This longitudinal study explored the rate of language growth of children in an early intervention program providing auditory-verbal therapy. A retrospective investigation, the study applied a linear growth model to estimate a mean growth curve and the extent of individual variation in language performance on the Preschool Language Scale, 4th ed. (PLS-4; Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002) for 24 children with hearing loss in a convenience sample. A statistically significant change in raw scores was observed across 6-month intervals. However, growth in standard scores did not show statistically significant predictable change across the 6-month intervals. Scores on the language measure were closer to expectations for younger peers with normal hearing when compared to data reported for the PLS-4 normative sample. Language outcomes varied significantly for individual children based on time spent in early intervention, suggesting that intervention was contributing to growth.
authors.forename: Carla Wood
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schatschneider
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D032882:Comprehension; D003625:Data Collection; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D004519:Education, Special; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010700:Phonetics; D011361:Professional Competence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D014481:United States