An Evaluation of the Speech and Language Skills of Children Who Pass School-Age Hearing Screening Tests According to Risk Factor

Objective: This study aimed to examine the language and speech development of children in the 6.0-7.11 age group who have passed the school-age hearing screening test and who have 1 or more risk factors for hearing, and to compare the conditions that may affect language and speech development.Methods: The study's sample was 50 children, 25 of whom had a single risk factor and 25 of whom had more than 1 risk factor for hearing and who had passed the school-age hearing screening test applied in the first grade of primary school. The sociodemographic information of the children and their families was obtained, and the children were examined with the Turkish School Age Language Development Test and the Ankara Articulation Test.Results: As a result of the study, all sub-sections of the Turkish School Age Language Development test and the Ankara Articulation Test scores of the children with more than 1 risk factor were statistically significantly lower compared to the children with a single risk factor (P < .05). It was found that screen exposure, the age of starting to speak, and the level of family education had an effect on language and speech development (P < .05).Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that the language and speech skills of children with multiple risk factors for hearing loss were lower than those of children with a single risk factor. Therefore, screening for speech and language development in children with risk factors, especially those with multiple risk factors, can be carried out in the hearing screening program, and evaluation and guidance for necessary therapy programs can be provided.