Young Hearing-impaired Children Research Articles

Rural home instruction program for young hearing-impaired children and their families

Rural home instruction program for young hearing-impaired children and their families

Adaptation of the Pictorial Self-Concept Scale to Measure Self-Concept in Young Hearing-Impaired Children

This article describes efforts to adapt a scale to measure self-concept in the young hearing-impaired child. The scale is described, and validity and reliability data are given. Possible uses for the scale are suggested as well.

An analysis of the language of young hearing-impaired children in terms of syntax, semantics, and use.

The purpose of this study was to describe the language acquisition of young hearing-impaired children. The 20 participants were 3- to 5-year-old children who had severe to profound hearing losses. They were videotaped for one hour, interacting individually with the investigator who was using stimulus materials. Each of the four analysis methods measured at least one component of language-syntax, semantics, or use. The results showed that the subjects were acquiring language using the same semantic categories, syntactic forms, and functional uses as normally developing children but at later chronological ages. All of the hearing-impaired children were developing a rule system consistent with patterns of normal language acquisition. Therefore, their language could best be described as delayed.

Symbolic play and early communication development in hearing-impaired children

This study investigated the relationship between symbolic play and language performance for young hearing-impaired children. Subjects included 20 hearing-impaired youngsters ranging in age from 38 months to 69 months. The children were placed in two ordinal communication groups. Placement in one of the communication levels was dependent upon information concerning the number of spontaneous expressive communication units the child produced. The experimental task consisted of three predetermined play themes in which the child previously displayed functional play. A nonconventional item was then included, and the play behaviors were observed for the occurrence of symbolic play under a spontaneous or modeled condition. The results indicate a significant difference in symbolic play between the two ordinal communication levels. Additionally, there was a strong positive relationship observed between the variables of symbolic play and early communication development.

Selecting amplification characteristics for young hearing-impaired children.

The task of selecting the electroacoustic characteristics of hearing aids for young hearing-impaired children continues to challenge many clinical audiologists. The rationale for a theoretically based approach to this problem is presented. Additionally, issues related to the choice of an idealized speech spectrum for a theoretical selection model are considered in relation to the acoustic environment and auditory needs of young hearing-impaired children. Finally, the preliminary version of a computer assisted speech spectrum approach, which facilitates the initial selection of frequency/gain and frequency/SSPL characteristics is presented.

Speech and Language: Principles and Processes of Behavior Change (review)

Reviews ply handicapped children is one that has not previously been addressed as well or as clearly. Linda Taconis, M.S. Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Talladega, Alabama 35160 The Other Side of Silence: Sign Language and the Deaf Community in America, Arden Neisser, 301 pp., $15.95, Alfred A. Knopf, 201 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022, 1983. Rarely does a novice to the American deaf community command such insight as Ms. Neisser displays in this work. Attempting to present the deaf community's point of view regarding sign language, she has weaved her story with interviews from a variety of individuals across the country. Her frank analyses of the complexities , contradictions and paradoxes rampant in the use and abuse of American Sign Language are refreshing. However, the book is offset by glib remarks and questionable conclusions: "MSSD is one of the supreme comic-tragedies of deaf education" (p. 136); "NTID ... there was a great discrepancy between the stated aims and the actual accomplishments of the institution, a gap that was filled by indifference and jargon" (p. 192). These are strong words for observations based on oneday visits, especially from someone who admittedly does not sign nor has any affiliation with the deaf community. Yet, the chapters on sign language linguistics (for example, "Signs and Science" and "Apeing Sign Language") are well researched and more than make up for the few weaknesses in the book. For all these reasons, it is necessary reading for deaf studies aficionados. David L. de Lorenzo, M. A. Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Gallaudet College Washington, DC 20002 Great Deaf Americans, Robert Panara and John Panara, 145 pp., $8.95, paperback, TJ. Publishers, 817 Silver Spring Ave., 305-D, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 1983. This book fulfills a long-awaited need for teachers of junior high and high school level students . The book will expose deaf students to an appreciation of their own culture. It also will serve as an invaluable resource for young parents with hearing-impaired children who need to be assured that they are not alone in "overcoming " the communication barrier. Greaf Deaf Americans presents success stories of 33 deaf people in the United States who have turned their deafness into a challenge. This book is ideal for classroom teaching because the stories are arranged chronologically from Laurent Clerc, the first deaf teacher, to Lou Ferrigno, the Incredible Hulk, and is designed for deaf students with high reading skills. The unique and challenging feature of the book is that it was almost entirely produced by deaf persons—one of the authors, the illustrator, the typist, and the publisher. The book was also dedicated to and introduced by deaf persons. This book surely will give the deaf community a new self-image and will also provide new hope for parents of young hearing-impaired children. Donna Drake Supervising Teacher Florida School for the Deaf and Blind St. Augustine, Florida 32084 Speech and Language: Principles and Processes of Behavior Change, C. Woodruff Starkweather, 415 pp., $28.95 plus tax, handling and shipping, PrenticeHall , Englewood Cliffs, N] 07632, 1983. In many training programs for the remediation of communicative disorders, three basic areas of study are presented: normal speech and language development, disorders of speech and language, and remediation techniques for speech and language disorders. Frequently, the first area of study is not adequately integrated into the second and third. Therefore, students are often unable to employ remedial procedures within a framework of learning principles associated with normal language development. This book attempts to improve that situation by presenting behavioral descriptions of both normal and disordered linguistic development and the remediation of disordered development. In the first three chapters , behavioral principles of learning are well elaborated and clearly defined. The remaining chapters integrate these principles into succinct and thorough explanations of voice, articulation, language and fluency disorders, and remedial principles associated with each. 396 A.A.O. I November 1984 Reviews A major flaw in this presentation is the author 's claim that the classical principles of learning were broadened, taking into account innate factors in linguistic development. The failure to achieve this aim is seen in the condensed and often cursory explanations...

Great Deaf Americans (review)

Reviews ply handicapped children is one that has not previously been addressed as well or as clearly. Linda Taconis, M.S. Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Talladega, Alabama 35160 The Other Side of Silence: Sign Language and the Deaf Community in America, Arden Neisser, 301 pp., $15.95, Alfred A. Knopf, 201 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022, 1983. Rarely does a novice to the American deaf community command such insight as Ms. Neisser displays in this work. Attempting to present the deaf community's point of view regarding sign language, she has weaved her story with interviews from a variety of individuals across the country. Her frank analyses of the complexities , contradictions and paradoxes rampant in the use and abuse of American Sign Language are refreshing. However, the book is offset by glib remarks and questionable conclusions: "MSSD is one of the supreme comic-tragedies of deaf education" (p. 136); "NTID ... there was a great discrepancy between the stated aims and the actual accomplishments of the institution, a gap that was filled by indifference and jargon" (p. 192). These are strong words for observations based on oneday visits, especially from someone who admittedly does not sign nor has any affiliation with the deaf community. Yet, the chapters on sign language linguistics (for example, "Signs and Science" and "Apeing Sign Language") are well researched and more than make up for the few weaknesses in the book. For all these reasons, it is necessary reading for deaf studies aficionados. David L. de Lorenzo, M. A. Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Gallaudet College Washington, DC 20002 Great Deaf Americans, Robert Panara and John Panara, 145 pp., $8.95, paperback, TJ. Publishers, 817 Silver Spring Ave., 305-D, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 1983. This book fulfills a long-awaited need for teachers of junior high and high school level students . The book will expose deaf students to an appreciation of their own culture. It also will serve as an invaluable resource for young parents with hearing-impaired children who need to be assured that they are not alone in "overcoming " the communication barrier. Greai Deaf Americans presents success stories of 33 deaf people in the United States who have turned their deafness into a challenge. This book is ideal for classroom teaching because the stories are arranged chronologically from Laurent Clerc, the first deaf teacher, to Lou Ferrigno, the Incredible Hulk, and is designed for deaf students with high reading skills. The unique and challenging feature of the book is that it was almost entirely produced by deaf persons—one of the authors, the illustrator, the typist, and the publisher. The book was also dedicated to and introduced by deaf persons. This book surely will give the deaf community a new self-image and will also provide new hope for parents of young hearing-impaired children. Donna Drake Supervising Teacher Florida School for the Deaf and Blind St. Augustine, Florida 32084 Speech and Language: Principles and Processes of Behavior Change, C. Woodruff Starkweather, 415 pp., $28.95 plus tax, handling and shipping, PrenticeHall , Englewood Cliffs, N] 07632, 1983. In many training programs for the remediation of communicative disorders, three basic areas of study are presented: normal speech and language development, disorders of speech and language, and remediation techniques for speech and language disorders. Frequently, the first area of study is not adequately integrated into the second and third. Therefore, students are often unable to employ remedial procedures within a framework of learning principles associated with normal language development. This book attempts to improve that situation by presenting behavioral descriptions of both normal and disordered linguistic development and the remediation of disordered development. In the first three chapters , behavioral principles of learning are well elaborated and clearly defined. The remaining chapters integrate these principles into succinct and thorough explanations of voice, articulation, language and fluency disorders, and remedial principles associated with each. 396 A.A.O. I November 1984 ...

日本語数唱聴きわけによる聴覚障害児の聴能の評価法（ＪＡＮＴ）の試行

A simple auditory test has been developed to assist in determing whether a young hearing-impaired child can perceive spectral aspects of speech or only gross time/intensity acoustic patterns. This recorded tape-cards test required the child with optimum hearing aid to identify counted sequences and individual numbers. It was administered to 53 children (96 ears), 4-11 years old, with mean hearing levels (500, 1000, 2000Hz) at 75-133dB. As the results, scores were related to mean HL, and generally the scores were high for mean hearing levels better than 90dB and low for hearing levels poorer than approximately 113dB. Although a range from minimum to maximum was obtained for children with audiograms at 91-111dB. Their audiogram could be inadequate for diagnostic purpose of listening skills.The Japanese Auditory Number Test (JANT) is recommended for practical evaluation of listening skills and speech perception in young hearing impaired children to aid in the planning of an auditory training program.

Behavioral methods in pediatric audiology: past, present, future.

A pediatric audiologic test battery consisting of both behavioral conditioning approaches and electrophysiological techniques has been developed and refined during the past decade. At present, a high rate of success can be anticipated in identifying and describing various degrees, types and configurations of pediatric hearing loss. Further, progress has been seen in the development of a battery of materials which are linguistically appropriate for assessing the utilization of residual auditory function among young hearing-impaired children. It is obvious, however, that clinical research is still needed to assure expansion and refinement of existing materials and techniques used for discrimination testing. Further, methodology must be developed for objective analysis of a youngster's auditory response behaviors if additional handicapping conditions are to be identified at an early age. Finally, a major challenge in the future is to analyze through systematic clinical investigation the potential contribution that can accrue with the administration of central audiologic test procedures designed both to identify and to classify various auditory-based language and learning disabilities.

Application of brain stem response in brain-injured children

The early components of the auditory evoked potential within 10 msec following an auditory stimulus are attributed to the brain stem auditory nuclei and pathways. In pediatric neurology the auditory brain stem response (ABR) can be applied to: 1) differential diagnosis of hearing impairment in young children including objective threshold measurement of hearing, 2) electrophysiological evaluation of maturation of the auditory pathways, 3) diagnosis of the site and/or extent of neurlogical diseases affecting the brain stem and 4) observation of a degenerating process of degenerative diseases in the central nervous system. The paper is especially concerned with the application of ABR to severe neurological diseases in children including central auditory dysfunction, cerebral palsy, infantile spasm, adrenoleucodystrophy, anoxic brain damage and Down's syndrome. Value and limitation of ABR audiometry in the clinical practice were mentioned, and a special emphasis was placed on the fact that all types of auditory tests including behavioral, electrophysiological, and developmental tests are indispensable, because the ABR, like other indicators, also has its own limitation.

Pragmatic and semantic development in young children with impaired hearing.

The purpose of the study was to characterize the early pragmatic-semantic communicative development of young hearing-impaired children learning spoken English as a first language. Twelve children with impaired hearing, ranging in age from 22 months to 60 months, were videotaped. Approximately 13 hours of videotaped data from four different communicative settings were analyzed. The pragmatic and semantic categories used by these children varied across age groups. Results are discussed with regard to age, expressive modality, mean length of utterance (MLU), and hearing loss. There was much variation among these parameters in communicative development across children.

Acoustic qualities of phonation in young hearing-impaired children.

Monosyllables were recorded from a group of 24 hearing-impaired and 6 normal-hearing children between three to six years of age. Tokens of the syllables /ba/ and /bo/ were placed on listening tapes and a panel of 10 experienced listeners made ratings of relative voice quality. The phonation samples were subjected to both a gross (spectrographic) and a fine (computer-aided) acoustic analysis. The following acoustic characteristics were examined: (1) mean fundamental frequency, (2) duration, (3) mean period-to-period changes in intensity and in fundamental frequency, (4) spectral energy ratio above and below 1000 Hz, and (5) intonation contour. The type of intonation contour appeared to be the most important characteristic separating the better from the poorer deaf speakers. The hearing-impaired subjects produced four different types of deviant intonation contours. In addition, two abnormalities of phonation, diplophonia and breathiness, are described.

Marked High-Frequency Hearing Loss in Children: A Problem in Early Identification

In the August 1977 issue, the article by Ralph O. Coleman and Rodney O. Pelson, “Marked High-Frequency Hearing Loss in Children: A Problem in Early Identification,” contains an error. In the second line of the abstract, the word “spectral” should be substituted for the word “special.” The sentence should read, “The limitations of noisemakers and speech in detecting marked high-frequency hearing impairment in young children are illustrated by spectral analysis.”

A Feasibility Scale for Language Acquisition Routing for Young Hearing-Impaired Children

This clinical report describes an evaluation scale for use in early habilitative planning for hearing-impaired children. The scale is designed to assist clinical audiologists and other concerned professionals in recommending an appropriate approach for early language stimulation based on the needs of each child. The report describes and explains the various factors considered in the evaluation scale. Individual case studies are included to illustrate various aspects of the scale and to highlight its value as an evaluation tool. To the extent that learning can be understood, methods for directing and guiding learning can be devised and tested, but the focus of education is upon learning and not upon method (Haskew, 1959, p. 21).

Marked high-frequency hearing loss in children: a problem in early identification.

The limitations of noisemakers and speech in detecting marked high-frequency hearing impairment in young children are illustrated by special analysis. The use of high-pass filtering of noisemakers and speech at 6000 Hz and above is recommended as one practical means of identifying losses of this type in children too young for voluntary pure-tone testing.

Effects of stimulus intensity on speech perception by deaf children.

Ten monosyllabic, 10 trochaic, and 10 spondaic words were presented monaurally to 10 severely (70-95 dB HTL) and 10 profoundly (larger than 95 dB HTL) hearing-impaired children at sensation levels (SL) ranging from near detection to near discomfort. Two methods were used to evaluate word perception as a function of stimulus intensity: the percentage of words recognized correctly and the percentage of words categorized correctly as to stress pattern. Both word-recognition and categorization scores reached maxima at 24-36 dB SL for the severe group, supporting previous result. For the profoundly deaf group, word-recognition scores were low regardless of SL, but their perception of the stress patterns of words improved as a function of increasing intensity, reaching maxima at 12-30 dB SL. The procedure and results described in this paper may be used by audiologists to help select optimal hearing aid volume settings for young hearing-impaired children.

Reliability of evoked response audiometry in hearing impaired young children during sleep (author's transl)

In order to evaluate the reliability of the slow vertex evoked response audiometry in young deaf children during sleep, response detectability, rate of false positive decision, agreement between scorers and test-retest agreement were investigated in 6 young children aged 2 to 4years with hearing impairment of 60 to 70 dB.The slow vertex evoked response was recorded with a 1000Hz pure tone at the intensity levels of 40, 60, 80 and 100 dB above averaged threshold of normal adults. Consecutive 50stimuli were averaged and 10 averaged traces were obtained at each intensity level and without stimulation per subject. Then 3 trained scorers made independently decisions of presence or absence of an evoked response on a total of 300 traces prepared. For investigating test-retest agreement, a retest was performed 18 months later on 150 traces obtained from 3 out of 6subjects.Results obtained were as follows:1. A marked increase in the response detectability was in changing the level of stimulus intensity from 60 to 80 dB (from 20.6% to 63.9%).2. The rate of false positive response was 7.2% of the traces without simulation.3. Agreement between 3 scorers was obtained in 77.0% of the total judgments.4. More than 90% agreement was achieved between the first and second judgments with an interval of 18 months.From the above mentioned results, the conclusion can be drawn that the slow vertex evoked response audiometry during sleep is reliable and valid in young children with impaired hearing.

Perceptual Strategies Employed by Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Children in the Comprehension of Sentences Containing Relative Clauses

Comprehension of spoken sentences containing embedded-relative clauses and consisting of N 1 V 1 N 2 V 2 N 3 combinations was assessed by means of a point-to-the-picture task administered to young normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children. Four perceptual strategies were available. Hearing-impaired children performed in a manner that was different quantitatively and qualitatively from normal-hearing children. Results suggest that various sources of ambiguity affect the strategies used by the hearing-impaired children and cause them to be less stable than those employed by normal-hearing children.

Delivery Systems in the Management of Hearing Impaired Children

The management of a hearing impaired child involves the family as well as the child himself, especially when the child is very young. Delivery systems therefore must include the parents as an integral part of the delivery chain and be sensitive to the parents' need to understand the treatment or therapy and, when appropriate, to sustain it in the home. Health care services that have educational implications have been termed eduhealth, which in the case of the hearing impaired child, refers to such services as the early detection of hearing loss, the proper fitting of hearing aids, the prompt treatment of upper respiratory infections that might lead to further hearing loss, and vision screening. The otolaryngologist, audiologist, and parent all have eduhealth responsibilities. Professionals in medicine and allied fields, although well trained and experienced in their specialities, are rarely prepared to meet all the needs of the young hearing impaired child and his parents with appropriate services and in the manner most appropriate for them. Some agencies, however, have demonstrated comprehensive capabilities in this area. In referring a family to a delivery system, the otolaryngologist should establish to his own satisfaction that the requisite skills are present. Common complaints of parents of hearing impaired children are the lack of communication with the physician and clinician, which is frequently the result of the vocabulary used by the specialist and the limited time spent with the parents during visits. The result can be parental failure to follow instructions and possibly irreversible damage to the child's development of listening, language, and speech skills. The eduhealth delivery service index is a new attempt to measure the effectiveness of systems for the delivery of education and health care services to young hearing impaired children and their parents. It has been demonstrated in a limited population and may prove useful in the comparison of delivery systems. The otolaryngologist is urged to become better acquainted with the various elements of delivery systems and to be cautious in accepting claims of comprehensive quality services until verified by his own experience or the reports of actual consumers of the services offered.

Performance of young hearing-impaired children on a test of basic concepts.

The Boehm Test of Basic Concepts was administered to 24 hard-of-hearing children and 24 normally hearing children, who ranged in age from six to eight years. The hearing-impaired children were enrolled at least part time in regular public school classrooms. Their responses were analyzed according to age level and degree of hearing loss and compared to norms for normal-hearing children. Results indicate significant differences in knowledge of the concepts tested between children with milder losses and those with moderately severe losses, but no significant differences between younger and older hearing-impaired children. Percentile rankings of raw scores revealed that 75% of the hard-of-hearing children scored at or below the 10th percentile when compared to norms for hearing children their age or younger. Item analysis of the responses indicated poorest performance on time concepts, followed by quantity, miscellaneous, and space concepts, in that order.