Comparison of Communication in Early and Late Identified Children with Hearing Impairment

Abstract

Background: The significance of early detection and intervention in hearing impairment is well-documented, with substantial evidence suggesting improved language outcomes in children who are identified and receive intervention at an early age. Objective: To quantitatively compare the communicative abilities of children with hearing impairments identified early versus late and to evaluate the impact of the timing of intervention on their language development. Methods: In a cohort study of 104 children with hearing impairment, two groups were defined based on the age at identification: early (before 6 months) and late (after 6 months). Using the Communication Checklist-2, as well as standardized tests for receptive and expressive language, we assessed and compared their communication skills. Results: Early identified children demonstrated superior communication skills, with 47.1% using object pointing compared to 57.4% of late identified children. A significant contrast was observed in verbal communication, with early identified children exhibiting higher usage of creative one-word utterances at 33.3% against 31.5% in the late group. Receptive language scores were higher in the early group by an average of 12 points, while expressive language scores were higher by an average of 15 points. Late identified children showed a higher reliance on preverbal communication, with a 3.7% higher incidence of object self-injury and a 5.2% higher occurrence of object aggression. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the substantial advantage of early identification of hearing impairment for communication skills development. Early identified children not only show a greater propensity for verbal communication but also achieve higher receptive and expressive language scores, underscoring the need for prompt hearing loss detection and intervention.