Investigating and Comparing Language Development of Cochlear Implanted Children and Children with Normal Hearing

Abstract

Introduction: Deafness has unfavorable effects on children's language development. Nowadays performing cochlear implant surgery has provided an opportunity for developing language in deaf children. The present study aims at investigating deaf children's language development after passing two years from performing cochlear implant surgery and comparing them with children enjoying natural hearing. Materials and Methods: The population of cochlear implanted children included all children who had undergone the cochlear implant surgery in Al-Zahra University Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. From these population, a number of 35 children (consisting of 18 boys and 17 girls) two years passed their surgeries were selected as the sample size using random sampling. In the group of children with natural hearing, the population included all children who were under training in pre-school centers and primary schools of Isfahan city. From this population, 35 children (18 boys and 17 girls) were selected using multi-stage cluster random sampling. The data of the research were collected using the scale of language development. At last, the statistical data were investigated employing correlation and covariance analysis. Results: The findings of the present study indicated that although the cochlear implanted children had high scores in the scale of language development, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of language development in the two groups (P ≤ 0.001). In addition, there was a positive and significant correlation between age and language development (P ≤ 0.01, r = 0.491). Conclusion: Regarding the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that however performing cochlear implant surgery results in developing language in deaf children, it should not be expected that after two years from performing the surgery, cochlear implanted children act similar to children with natural hearing in language skills.

Keywords

• Language development
• Cochlear implanted children
• Children with natural hearing