2012 Volume 55 Issue 3 Pages 175-181
This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between the age at cochlear implantation (CI) and language development using a set of Japanese language assessment test battery, consisting of communication skills testing, vocabulary testing, and syntax testing. Of the 638 hearing-impaired children enrolled, 182 children (83 males and 99 females) with CI were included in this study. They were fitted with their first hearing aids (HA) at 27 months and underwent CI at 42 months, on average. Subjects were classified into four groups according to the age at CI and at the first fitting of HA, as follows: 1) early CI and HA group, 2) early HA and delayed CI group, 3) early CI and delayed HA group, 4) delayed CI and HA group. Our study showed that early cochlear implantation was beneficial for the development of productive vocabulary and syntax, and early fitting of HA was beneficial for the development comprehensive vocabulary and syntax. We concluded that early auditory input is effective for the development of language comprehension, and early development of speech discrimination is effective for the development of language production.