Abstract
Memory plays a profound role in explaining language development, academic learning, and learning disabilities. Even though there is a large body of research on language development, literacy skills, other academic skills, and intellectual characteristics of children with hearing loss, there is no holistic study on their memory processes. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to examine memory-related research on children with hearing loss (CHL). In order to distill methodological and topical trends of those studies so as to unfold relevant research needs. In this research, content analysis method was used to analyze 25 quantitative-empirical studies on memory of children below 18 years. Majority of the research studies grouped normal-hearing children as the norm group. Participants with hearing loss were quite heterogeneous in nature. Causal-comparative and correlational designs were jointly used most frequently as the research model, and assessment was based on multi-measure paradigms. Noteworthy popular topical trends include memory of children using verbal language and cochlear implants; the relation of memory to language development and literacy skills, temporary memory processes, and memory of children attending inclusive classes. A significant conclusion of the current study is that topical trends filtered from the international literature indicate the research need of our country. Furthermore, results of the analysis revealed that taking memory processes into account, especially during the assessment of hard-of-hearing children may contribute drastically to the holistic nature of assessment. Key words: Hearing loss, children with hearing loss, deaf children, cognition, memory, memory-associated processes, content analysis.
Highlights
The nature, development and functions of memory, its relations with other cognitive processes, including academic or non-academic skills have been assessed and tested in typically developing children to enhance the capacity of their memory (Spencer-Smith and Klinghberg, 2015)
Between groups comparison/ relationship between skills and memory Favored normally hearing children; relations were found Favored CHL; relations were found Favored total communication users; relations were found Favored nnormally hearing children and those whose native language was sign language relations were found Between groups comparison Favored CHL Favored nnormally hearing children Relation between skills and memory types Related Not related Effectiveness of intervention programs Effective Non-eeffective Investigation of memory in general CHL are competent CHL are not competent
Gender has never been considered as a significant variable in studies conducted on CHL; when it comes to cognitive processes— especially visual memory, there is a high probability that performance may vary across genders (Cornoldi and Vecchi, 2003)
Summary
The nature, development and functions of memory, its relations with other cognitive processes, including academic or non-academic skills have been assessed and tested in typically developing children to enhance the capacity of their memory (Spencer-Smith and Klinghberg, 2015). Regarding research on disability groups, those conducted with individuals having visual and hearing impairment generally follow a rather different path than others. Having sensory bases, both visual and hearing losses are not the same as other disabilities. Overall perception of the relation between memory and either visual or hearing loss accepts that there are some kind of sensory compensation mechanism for these individuals. One of the reasons for designing memory studies of individuals with hearing loss is the endeavor to identify trends in the validity of sensory compensation approaches (Parasnis et al, 1996)
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