The effect of cochlear implantation in development of intelligence quotient of 6-9 deaf children in comparison with normal hearing children (Iran, 2009-2011).

OBJECTIVE

Before the introduction of cochlear implant (CI) in 1980, hearing aids were the only means by which profoundly deaf children had access to auditory stimuli. Nowadays, CI is firmly established as effective option in speech and language rehabilitation of deaf children, but much of the literature regarding outcomes for children after CI are focused on development of speech and less is known about language acquisition. So, the main aim of this study is the evaluation of verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) of cochlear implanted children in comparison with normal children.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

30 cochlear implanted and 30 normal hearing children with similar socio-economic level at the same age were compared by a revised version (in Persian) of WISC test (Wechsler, 1991). Then the data were analyzed through SPSS software 16.

RESULTS

In spite of the fact that cochlear implanted children did well in different parameters of WISC test, the average scores of this group was less than normal hearing children. But in similarities (one of the parameters of WISC test) 2 group's performance was approximately the same.

CONCLUSION

CI plays an important role in development of verbal IQ and language acquisition of deaf children. Different researches indicate that most of the cochlear implanted children show less language delay during the time.