Harry Levitt legacies: Studies of speech perception and intelligibility in children with cochlear implants

Abstract

Harry Levitt has contributed a substantial body of knowledge regarding the speech perception and production skills of hearing-impaired children. In this paper, Dr. Levitt will be honored by describing the speech perception, speech intelligibility, and acoustic characteristics of 136 cochlear implanted children between the ages of 8 and 9 who have at least 4 years experience with a Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant. Half of the children used auditory-oral modes of communication and the other half used total communication. The questions addressed are as follows. (a) Do children implanted before 5 years of age develop intelligible speech? (b) Are speech perception skills reflected in the acoustic measurements of speech in children with cochlear implants? (c) What factors are associated with intelligible speech in children with cochlear implants? The presentation will describe the population demographics, speech perception measures (including open and closed set speech perception performance), and measures of speech production (including speech intelligibility, communication breakdowns, parental rating scales, and acoustic characteristics). Factors contributing to high levels of speech perception and intelligibility will be described and contrasted. Implications for the development of intelligible speech will be discussed, particularly as it relates to mode of communication. [Work supported by NIH-NIDCD.]