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EARLY AMPLIFICATION: WHAT TO EXPECT
Children who have received a cochlear implant under 2 years of age have
been able to develop speech and language skills sufficient to be
successfully mainstreamed by second grade. The benchmarks listed below are
a guide to that achievement. Children who are implanted at one year old
may be expected to reach the same benchmarks, except at 4-6 months
post-activation (18 months old), they may produce fewer words. Hearing aid
users are expected to perform equally as well.
Almost Immediately after Activation
* Demonstrates detection of sounds across all frequencies
* Demonstrates detection of the Ling 6 sounds: ee (feet), -o- (hot), oo
(shoe), s, sh, m
* Demonstrates detection of a variety of environmental sounds
0-4 Months Post Activation
* This seems to be a "listening" time. Since the children are very young,
it is difficult to assess what they are truly understanding.
4-6 Months Post Activation
* Identifies of at least 35 to 50 words, in closed sets in lessons. These
words include mostly nouns and verbs
* Names about 75% of the items or actions they understand
* Produces recognizable approximations of at least 85% of the words
learned, in imitation of the teacher's model, matching duration and a
vowel or consonant
* Uses some single words to express their wants and needs
1 Year Post Activation
* Identifies 75 to 100 words, consisting of nouns, verbs, some early
developing adjectives and early developing prepositions, when pictures or
objects representing those words are presented in sets of at least four
words
* Produces at least 90% of the words they can identify in closed sets
* Develops understanding of some early developing two-word combinations
(noun-noun, noun-verb, verb-noun)
* Produces some early developing two-word combinations (noun-noun "boy
ball", noun-verb "boy throw", verb-noun "throw ball")
* Produces some early developing two-word combinations in a lesson setting
* Uses single words and some common phrases and expressions to express
their thoughts and ideas
15 Months to 18 Months Post Activation:
* A language explosion seems to occur
* Learns vocabulary outside of the classroom or therapy environment
* Has more than 250 vocabulary words
* Comprehends simple three- and four- word sentences
* Uses a variety of two-word combinations spontaneously
2 Years Post Activation
* Has more than 500 words - too many to count
* Comprehends of a variety of simple sentences and questions
* Uses of simple sentences of 4-6 words when speaking spontaneously
Factors which may affect the child's potential to reach such high goals:
- Normal intelligence
- Be a consistent wearer of her implant
- No concerns in relation to speech or oral motor skills
- Appropriate amplification, specifically well-fitted hearing aids and/or
an appropriate MAP if a cochlear implant user
I hope this gives you a better idea of children's achievements
post-amplification with hearing aids or a cochlear implant.
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Betsy Moog Brooks is the Coordinator of the
Family School (birth to 3) program at The Moog Center for
Deaf Education in St. Louis, Missouri. These benchmarks for
early amplification are an excerpt from her new book, "My
Baby and Me - A Book about Teaching Your Child to Talk." "My
Baby and Me" is an excellent primer for parents of deaf and
hard of hearing children who are learning to talk. It offers
great language ideas, resources, information and more and is
personalized with the child's name throughout the book. To
view the Table of Contents and to order,
visit
this page. |
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©
Copyright 2002 Betsy Moog Brooks and The Moog Center for Deaf Education.
All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. For more information about
The Moog Center,
click here.
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