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Rationale: A new method of assessing children’s linguistic development and auditory environments is provided by the LENA system. Little is known about use of this system with children with hearing loss (HL).
Methods: LENA recordings were collected for 38 children with mild to severe HL and 12 children with normal hearing (NH) (M age=26.6 months). Recordings were analyzed for Automated Vocal Analyses scores (AVA), television time, noise, and female and male adult word count. Language was also assessed via the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL).
Results: The NH group outperformed the HL group on the MSEL and AVA. No group differences were found for the auditory environment variables. For the HL group, AVA scores, but not environmental variables, were correlated with MSEL scores.
Discussion: Both language assessment formats were sensitive to differences in the communication abilities of children with HL and NH. Children with HL were not exposed to more or less adult talk, television, or noise than children with NH, nor did these environmental variables influence language outcomes. |
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