Language Outcomes Using Hearing Aids in Children with Auditory Dys-Synchrony

Abstract

There is a considerable debate on the use of hearing aid in children with auditory dys-synchrony (AD). To current date there are no similar Studies which show the effect of acoustic amplification on outcomes on speech and language development in children with AD are found in the literature. Thus, in the present study three children diagnosed to have AD were recruited and subjected to hearing aid trial and fitting based on the late latency response thresholds. Ranging from 7 months to 41 months of intervention period, each child’s language age was reassessed and compared with that of their pre-therapy language age. The comparison showed a good improvement in receptive age, though the children had moderate to severe degree of hearing loss. But their expressive age was significantly delayed irrespective of their age of identification and duration of intervention. Thus the delay in expression with a good amount of improvement in reception can be a characteristic of an AD child with amplification.

Speech perception and spoken language of children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder: a systematic literature review

“…There is no reported degree of hearing loss. Captions: CI: cochlear implant; ANSD: auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder; HA: hearing aid studied children with ANSD and moderate hearing loss 26,27 . This result emphasizes the importance of neonatal hearing screening programs, which involve both evoked otoacoustic emissions and brainstem auditory evoked potentials, because the combination of both tests will avoid errors, allowing to verify babies with possible findings compatible with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder 4,28,29 .…”

“…Two studies showed that children who use hearing aids may present benefits in speech perception skills, with regard to auditory recognition and comprehension, when evaluating children with degrees of hearing loss that ranged from mild to severe 12,26 . However, another study, which evaluated the language development of children using hearing aids with moderate to severe hearing loss, found superior performance for participants with lower degree of hearing loss, stating that amplification can help in hearing, but is not enough to modify the neural coding pattern that is altered in the different degrees of hearing loss, especially in the severe degree 27 .…”

“…In relation to the receptive aspect, only one study investigated this ability, through the Language Development Assessment (ADL) procedure. Three children using bilateral hearing aids, with moderate to severe hearing loss, who underwent speech therapy with emphasis on hearing and spoken language, were evaluated, verifying differences in receptive age between the pre-and post-therapy moments, which ranged from six months to three years 27 . Regarding the expressive aspect, the same study obtained results by ADL before and after the intervention, with differences in expressive age ranging from one year to one year and seven months 27 .…”

“…Regarding the level of evidence, eight studies were classified in "level 4", which consists of descriptive studies, five case-control studies 26,30,33,34,36 , two cohort studies 25,32 and one cross-sectional study 31 , while seven studies were classified in "level 5", which represents the case studies 12,13,[22][23][24]27,35 . It is possible to observe that the 15 included studies are between levels 4 and 5 of the classification proposed by Cox (2004) 18 , which consist of lower levels related to the quality of the study.…”

“…Chart 3 shows the risk of bias of the studies, analyzed by the critical appraisal tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute 19 . devices, need an intervention that helps in the use of hearing information obtained by hearing aids or CI for the establishment of effective oral communication 24,27 .…”