title: Vocal Development in Young Children With Cochlear Implants: Profiles and Implications for Intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article describes prelinguistic vocal development in 2 prelingually deaf children who received multichannel cochlear implants at 10 and 28 months of age, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vocalizations were recorded in half-hour mother- child interactions before and after implantation and then classified into three levels of development: precanonical, canonical, and postcanonical.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One child made rapid progress in vocal development after her implant was activated. The other child showed slower progress with continued dominance of precanonical vocalizations throughout the first year of implant experience. Increases in vowel, diphthong, and consonant diversity; the establishment of canonical vocalizations; and the emergence of postcanonical forms were found to be indicators of progress in vocal development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Observed differences in the rate and completeness of vocal development between the 2 children suggest that some young implant recipients may need specialized intervention strategies to stimulate speech development. The rationale and procedures for implementing Short Periods of Prelinguistic Input (SPPI), a potentially useful approach for stimulating vocal development, are presented.
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ertmer
authors.affiliation: Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grohne
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mellon
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Kankakee, IL.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saindon