There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
<p class="first" id="d9361650e154">This study examines whether early sign language
exposure in children with CIs influences
speech recognition, speech intelligibility, language, and reading outcomes.
</p><div class="section">
<a class="named-anchor" id="s01">
<!--
named anchor
-->
</a>
<h5 class="section-title" id="d9361650e158">BACKGROUND:</h5>
<p id="d9361650e160">Most children with hearing loss who receive cochlear implants
(CI) learn spoken language,
and parents must choose early on whether to use sign language to accompany speech
at home. We address whether parents’ use of sign language before and after CI positively
influences auditory-only speech recognition, speech intelligibility, spoken language,
and reading outcomes.
</p>
</div><div class="section">
<a class="named-anchor" id="s02">
<!--
named anchor
-->
</a>
<h5 class="section-title" id="d9361650e163">METHODS:</h5>
<p id="d9361650e165">Three groups of children with CIs from a nationwide database
who differed in the duration
of early sign language exposure provided in their homes were compared in their progress
through elementary grades. The groups did not differ in demographic, auditory, or
linguistic characteristics before implantation.
</p>
</div><div class="section">
<a class="named-anchor" id="s03">
<!--
named anchor
-->
</a>
<h5 class="section-title" id="d9361650e168">RESULTS:</h5>
<p id="d9361650e170">Children without early sign language exposure achieved better
speech recognition skills
over the first 3 years postimplant and exhibited a statistically significant advantage
in spoken language and reading near the end of elementary grades over children exposed
to sign language. Over 70% of children without sign language exposure achieved age-appropriate
spoken language compared with only 39% of those exposed for 3 or more years. Early
speech perception predicted speech intelligibility in middle elementary grades. Children
without sign language exposure produced speech that was more intelligible (mean =
70%) than those exposed to sign language (mean = 51%).
</p>
</div><div class="section">
<a class="named-anchor" id="s04">
<!--
named anchor
-->
</a>
<h5 class="section-title" id="d9361650e173">CONCLUSIONS:</h5>
<p id="d9361650e175">This study provides the most compelling support yet available
in CI literature for
the benefits of spoken language input for promoting verbal development in children
implanted by 3 years of age. Contrary to earlier published assertions, there was no
advantage to parents’ use of sign language either before or after CI.
</p>
</div>