Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education Advance Access originally published online on May 21, 2009
The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 2009 14(4):465-485; doi:10.1093/deafed/enp010
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Language Achievement in Children Who Received Cochlear Implants Between 1 and 2 Years of Age: Group Trends and Individual Patterns
Université de Montréal
Université Laval
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This study examined receptive and expressive vocabulary and grammar achievement of French-speaking children (n = 27) who received a cochlear implant (CI) between the age of 1 and 2. Standardized measures of language achievement were administered and the language levels attained by children with CIs were compared with that of the normative sample of same-age hearing peers for each measure. As a group, children exhibited language levels within normal limits in all standardized language measures. Examination of individual patterns revealed four different language profiles ranging from normal language levels in all domains to general language delay. Half the participants displayed language levels on par with similar-age peers at the word level; less than half the children obtained average performance at the sentence level. In three of these profiles, comprehension of sentences was impaired. Moreover, the age at implantation was not associated with language achievement. Findings suggest that receiving a CI between the age of 1 and 2 years does not ensure that language abilities will be within normal limits after up to 6 years of experience with the implant.
Correspondence should be sent to Louise Duchesne, Institut de réadaptation en déficience physique de Québec, 525, Wilfrid-Hamel Boulevard, Québec, QC G1M 2S8, Canada (e-mail: louise.duchesne{at}umontreal.ca).
Received September 3, 2008; revised March 30, 2009; accepted March 31, 2009