Abstract
The receptive (aural) vocabulary development of children with binaural-aided residual hearing was investigated in a prospective longitudinal analysis (repeated measures). Thirty-three children with sensorineural hearing loss, without major co-morbidities (mean age at the first testing point, 56.2 months, standard deviation 19.0 months) were recruited from the 1994 German Goettinger Hearing Language Register. Their receptive vocabulary was measured using standardised tests (with reference to normal hearing child performance) on three separate test points (mean follow up, 18.7 months, standard deviation 5.0 months). On average, the study group scored below the normal range at the first and second tests and made a significant improvement at the last test. The degree of hearing loss was found to be significantly correlated to vocabulary performance at all time points, with increasing correlation coefficients. At the third test, significant predictive variables for successful receptive vocabulary outcome were found to be: degree of hearing loss (t = 5.43; p < 0.0001); age at diagnosis (t = 2.29; p = 0.03); and nonverbal intelligence (t = 2.82; p = 0.009). If permanent childhood hearing impairment is mild and/or is detected early, and if the child grows up in a monolingual environment, the development of receptive vocabulary within the normal range is possible.
Highlights
Language input plays an eminent role in formation of the developing language system in infants
This study addressed the developmental assessment of receptive vocabulary outcomes in hearing-impaired children, within an average follow-up period of 18.7 months, using three test points
The present findings suggest that development of a receptive vocabulary within the normal range is possible if the childhood permanent hearing impairment is mild and/or if it is detected early, if the child grows up monolingual, and if he or she receives oral speech-language intervention
Summary
Language input plays an eminent role in formation of the developing language system in infants. Infants naturally acquire their native vocabulary from speech heard in their home environment, from which they form phonological representations. There is substantial evidence for the role of phonological memory in vocabulary development for the sound structures of words. Receptive (aural) vocabulary development is a very important facet of oral language acquisition and generally precedes expressive vocabulary.[1] Vocabulary knowledge is important for understanding the world and for language competence.[2] Lexical comprehension begins at approximately nine months and typically increases with age. Children with delayed acquisition of receptive vocabulary are at risk of delayed expressive vocabulary development, which in turn significantly delays the acquisition of spoken language skills and, compromises academic achievement.[7,8]
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