Long-term functional and behavioral-emotional outcomes in children with early cochlear implants: Parental testimonies.

OBJECTIVES

(1) To assess the long-term effects of cochlear implantation (CI) on speech perception and school life, and (2) to evaluate behavioral and emotional development, including social skills, post-implantation.

METHODS

We telephoned caregivers and asked them a standardized questionnaire. We used the data to explore the daily lives (including school life) of children who had undergone CI before the age of 4 years and who had used the device for >10 years. We also evaluated behavioral/emotional development.

RESULTS

Most children used CI devices for virtually all their waking moments and attended mainstream schools. Moreover, more than 75% of them could comprehend common phrases or conversations without lip-reading and carry out a telephone conversation with a person known to them. The mean T-scores for all scales of behavioral/emotional assessment, including those concerning social skills, were within the normal ranges, although scores on the competence scale were lower than those on other scales.

CONCLUSIONS

This long-term study of early-CI children shows that CI improves not only speech perception, but also behavioral/emotional development, including social skills.