Language development in deaf or hard-of-hearing children with additional disabilities: type matters!

BACKGROUND: This study examined language development in young children with hearing loss and different types of additional disabilities (ADs). METHOD: A population-based cohort of 67 children who were enrolled in the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment study took part. Language ability was directly assessed at 3 and 5 years of age using the Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition. Standard scores were used to enable comparison with age-based expectations for typically developing children. RESULTS: Analysis of variance showed that, across the total cohort, children's language scores remained stable over the 2-year period. However, this overall stability masked a significant difference between children with different types of ADs; in particular, children with autism, cerebral palsy and/or developmental delay showed a decline in standard scores, whereas children with other disabilities showed a relative improvement. In addition, larger improvements in receptive vocabulary were associated with use of oral communication only. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that type of AD can be used to gauge expected language development in the population of children with hearing loss and ADs when formal assessment of cognitive ability is not feasible.

Predicting 3-year outcomes of early-identified children with hearing impairment.

UNLABELLED: PROBLEM/OBJECTIVES: Permanent childhood hearing loss has major negative impacts on children's health and development. To improve outcomes, universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) has been implemented widely. However, high-quality evidence on its efficacy was lacking. To address this evidence gap, we conducted the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI) study to directly compare outcomes of early- and late-identified children. This paper investigates whether early performance measured shortly after initial amplification predicts language development at 3 years of age. METHODOLOGY: This is a prospective, population-based study. We assessed outcomes at 6- and 12-months after amplification, and then at 3 and 5 years of age. Main outcome measures included directly-assessed language, receptive vocabulary, speech production; and parent-reported functional performance in everyday life. A range of demographic and audiological information was also collected at evaluation intervals. RESULTS: About 450 children participated, and 3-year outcomes scores were available for 356 participants. Multiple regression analysis revealed that early language scores or functional performance ratings were significant predictors of 3-year outcomes. Other significant predictors included the presence or absence of additional disabilities, severity of hearing loss, and age at cochlear implant activation. CONCLUSIONS: Early performance, either directly-assessed language ability (PLS-4) or parent-reported functional ratings (PEACH), were significant predictors of 3-year outcomes; along with presence or absence of additional disabilities, severity of hearing loss, and age at CI activation. Earlier implantation is possible with early detection of hearing loss via UNHS. Monitoring performance after initial amplification allows preventive strategies to be implemented early to improve outcomes.