Individual differences in language performance after cochlear implantation at one to three years of age: Child, family, and linguistic factors

Language skills were investigated in a multicultural sample of 13 prelingually deaf children (11 profoundly deaf from birth) who received cochlear implants between 14 and 38 months of age; average duration of implant use was 49 months. Individual postimplant language skills ranged from extremely delayed to age appropriate. On average, skills varied across domains: on vocabulary, several children functioned in the average range compared with hearing peers, but all were below that range on a test emphasizing syntax (CELF-P). Children with preimplant hearing experience had the highest scores on all language measures. Excluding these children, age of implantation (range 14 to 27 months) associated inversely and significantly with CELF-P scores, even when nonverbal IQ was controlled. Qualitative analyses indicated higher child language achievement associated with parents ’ reports of lengthy, in-depth pro-cesses to decide about cochlear implantation. Such reports may indicate high levels of ongoing parent involvement with child and programming. Studies of both individuals and groups of profoundly deaf children have shown positive effects from the use of cochlear implants on speech perception (e.g.