Computer-assisted intervention for Deaf and Hard of hearing (D/HH) children with cochlear implants or hearing aids : Cognitive factors and phonological change

• Aim: Study cognitive abilities; specifically working memory and lexical access in NH and DHH children, and their correlations to phonological processing skills (PhPS) pre intervention. Analyze how cognitive abilities related to phonological change post intervention. Material and Method: Tasks for lexical access, complex and visual working memory and Phpr were assessed pre and post intervention.Conclusion: DHH children performed at a lower level than NH children on lexical access but equally on complex and visual working memory. Significant correlations between complex working memory and PhPS were evident in DHH children but not in NH. This suggests that DHH children recruit more cognitive resources when performing PhPr tasks. Weak initial performance on a task for phonological representations (Phrep) was the only significant predictor of phonological change in DHH children. Weak PhRep was associated with a higher age at diagnosis, higher age at implant, and shorter usage-time with CI. 

Keyword

Deaf and hard of hearing; Children; Cochlear implants; Hearing aids; Phonological processing skills; Computer-assisted intervention

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)