Early Cochear Implantation (CI) improves Children's Mentalization Abilities

• Early access to spoken language or sign language is a necessary prerequisite for the normal development of our mentalizing abilities. The present study investigates how the auditory stimulation from cochlear implants (CI) affect Theory of Mind development for deaf children. Sixteen children (nine boys) with CI, age range 4:3 to 9:6 years were tested on theory of mind, language, and cognitive measures. Half of the children (five boys) received their first implant before 27 months and half after 27 months of age (four boys). The two groups did not differ on age, average length lived with CI, language or cognition and no gender differences were observed. The early group gave significantly more correct mentalization answers than the late group (M = 44.27 % versus M = 18.61 % , p < .05). Furthermore, age at implantation correlated positively with the children’s performance on our ToM measures for the late group (rs (8) = .78, p < .05) but not for the early group (rs(8) = .31, ns).The results supported our main hypothesis such that the age when the children receive their first cochlear implant are affecting the development of theory of mind. In our study, children with early implants solved ToM problems to a significant higher degree than children with late implants although the groups did not differ on language or cognitive measures.

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