Chapter 19 - Neurocognitive development in congenitally deaf children

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of neurocognitive development in children with hearing loss across the spectrum of hearing disorders. It begins with information about the characteristics of pediatric hearing loss and its consequences in terms of neurophysiologic effects on the developing auditory system and functional effects on spoken language acquisition. The importance of early learning experiences on the developing brain is elaborated and the role of parents is discussed. The chapter briefly describes recent advances in early hearing loss identification and intervention, including the impact of cochlear implant technology, and discusses how these have substantially changed and continue to change developmental outcomes for children with hearing loss. Multiple factors that affect early and later development are outlined. Findings from current literature that provide useful information on developmental outcomes in children with hearing loss of all levels of severity are presented. The chapter also considers information that has accumulated about cognitive processes, particularly related to speech and language acquisition in children with hearing loss.