abstract: This study compared the performance in phonological memory tasks of bimodal bilíngual hearing children (children of deaf parents) and deaf children with cochlear implant (children of deaf parents and hearing parents), with different contexts of access to Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). We used two tests: Portuguêse Pseudowords (Santos and Bueno, 2003) and Libras Pseudosigns (developed by researchers from Development Bimodal Bilíngual Project). Moreover, we included two control groups, one of deaf children, growing up with Libras, with deaf parents, and the other of hearing adults Codas, bimodal bilínguals, with deaf parents. In the analysis of the results, initially, in regard to the performance among the groups tested, it was found that the bimodal bilíngual children had higher scores in both tests. However, when we analyzed the performance of the deaf child with cochlear implant, with deaf parents, with full access to sign language, compared to the other children with cochlear implant, with restricted access to Libras, we found that this child has a similar performance to the Coda children. The cochlear-implanted children with restricted access to Libras, therefore with more access to Portuguêse, had lower scores in both tests, being the worst score for the Portuguêse test. The results shown that children with cochlear implant can have benefits when they have access to Libras, having similar performances to hearing bimodal bilíngual children.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC.
authors.forename: Ronice Müller
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: de Quadros
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC e Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS.
authors.forename: Carina Rebello
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC.
authors.forename: Aline Lemos
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pizzio
keywords: Bimodal bilíngualism; cochlear implant; language development; phonological memory
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