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Early and consistent access to linguistic input is regarded as important if not essential for speech and language development in typically-developing children. Our research suggests that permanent hearing loss places young children at risk for linguistic delays to the extent that it restricts access to speech and language input. The historical literature documents extensive delays in speech, language, academic, and psychosocial development in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. However, researchers are now met with a new generation of children who are commonly identified in infancy and receive early interventions that include improved hearing technologies. Although the expectation is that these service innovations should prevent or minimize speech and language delays, the requisite studies exploring children’s outcomes are just beginning to emerge. This presentation first examines a series of studies exploring factors (e.g., characteristics of maternal input, hearing technology, overhearing) that influence access to linguistic input in children with hearing loss. Selected findings from this earlier work were examined in a larger context through a multi-site, longitudinal study of the outcomes of children with mild-to-severe hearing loss (Outcomes of Children with Hearing Loss, OCHL). This presentation focuses next on results from the OCHL project, which was designed to address major gaps in the extant literature on children who use hearing aids rather than cochlear implants. Three major factors (audibility, consistency and duration of hearing aid use, and caregiver input characteristics) are discussed in relation to children’s longitudinal outcomes. We argue that the language learning system is vulnerable when there are constraints in the availability of cues. To the extent that language learning is dependent on statistical properties of the input, children with hearing loss may experience unique areas of vulnerability. We consider whether or not language development is robust in the context of this new generation of children with mild to severe hearing loss. Throughout the discussion, we will consider ways in which research with this group of children can inform more general theories of child language acquisition.
This work was supported by NIH-NIDCD R01DC006681 and NIH-NIDCD R01DC009560.
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