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The purpose of this study was to determine if high nonverbal intelligence functions as a protective factor for language acquisition in children with hearing loss. Nonverbal intelligence, language development, and spoken language skills were analyzed using standardized assessments and language sample analyses in 53 children between the ages of three and six in four groups that varied by hearing status and nonverbal intelligence. Children with hearing loss and average nonverbal intelligence performed significantly lower in omnibus language scores, expressive and receptive vocabulary, mean length of utterance, and number of different word than all other children in the study, including children with hearing loss who have high nonverbal intelligence and all children with normal hearing. In contrast to children with hearing loss and average nonverbal intelligence, children with hearing loss and high nonverbal intelligence did not perform significantly different from any of the children with typical hearing. Thus, high nonverbal intelligence may serve as a protective factor in the development of language skills, as indicated by standardized test performance and spoken language measures, in children with hearing loss. This study is funded by NIH/NIDCD (1R03DC014535; PI: Werfel). |
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