Speech perception and speech intelligibility in children with multichannel cochlear implants

Congenitally and prelingually deaf children with multichannel cochlear implants (Cls) acquire speech perception and speech production skills over a prolonged time course [1-5]. Comprehensive longitudinal studies are required to assess the full impact of cochlear implantation. The purpose of this investigation was to document longitudinal performance trends in pediatric CT recipients. A hierarchy of speech perception measures has been used to follow progress in children who have used their device for as long as 5 years. The speech perception skills of CI children are compared to those of children with different levels of profound hearing impairment who use conventional hearing aids (HAs). In addition, age at implantation is evaluated to determine if prelingually deaf children who receive a cochlear implant at an early age (i.e. before the age of 5 years) obtain greater speech perception benefits than those implanted at a later age.