SRCLD Presentation Details
  Title  
       
    Catching Up and Catching On: Language Assessment of Preschool Children with Hearing Loss  
Author(s)
Kaitlyn Johnston-Minchin - Vanderbilt University
Jena McDaniel - Vanderbilt University
C. Melanie Schuele - Vanderbilt University Medical Center

SRCLD Info
SRCLD Year: 2017
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Poster Number: PS1F18
Presentation Time: (na)
Categories
Abstract
Rationale: Substantial attention has been focused on children with hearing loss achieving language scores within normal limits—catching up. This language growth is frequently measured in terms of vocabulary scores; yet children with hearing loss are known to perform variably across language domains and assessments. Methods: Participants included 15 preschool-aged children (age 3;1 to 5;7) with hearing loss who had expressive and receptive vocabulary scores within normal limits (SS > 77; Tennessee Department of Education cut-off for language impairment). Participants completed a battery of language and early literacy assessments. Results: Performance on other language measures and domains diverged significantly from performance on vocabulary measures. Conclusions: As expectations for children with hearing loss become more about catching up, the importance of measuring age-appropriate linguistic competence becomes increasingly important—especially when access to services is tied to language measure scores. Clinicians and researchers should use caution and thoughtful deliberation when choosing and interpreting measures for children with hearing loss. This project was supported by the US Department of Education (H325K120305; H325D140087).