Speech perception outcomes for people with a prelingual hearing loss, implanted with a cochlear implant in adolescence or adulthood, are characterized by a large degree of variability. Research findings indicate that some recipients do very well and gain significant open set speech perception skills, whilst a large percentage show little or no change in open set speech results, post implant. In studies to-date, mean speech perception scores were typically substantially poorer than those recorded for implant recipients with a postlingual hearing loss. Despite this, the majority of recipients with a prelingual hearing loss implanted with a cochlear implant in adolescence or adulthood reported satisfaction with their implant and used it regularly. Although there have been a number of studies in the area, none has taken a holistic approach and investigated both objective and subjective outcomes for a large group of participants. In addition, no study has employed a multiple regression analysis to investigate which characteristics were associated with speech perception outcomes in people with a prelingual hearing loss implanted with a cochlear implant in adolescence or adulthood. The objectives of the study were to examine speech perception and other outcomes in people with a bilateral prelingual or perilingual hearing loss, implanted with a cochlear implant as an adolescent or adult, and to investigate prognostic factors associated with positive outcomes. The design consisted of a retrospective review of both speech perception outcomes and other outcomes for 38 recipients, diagnosed with a bilateral hearing loss before age 3, and implanted with a cochlear implant at 14 years or older. There were 24 females and 14 males and the average age at initial stimulation was 33 years. All participants were implanted with a Nucleus device at a private audiology clinic (Attune). Four questionnaires were completed by approximately half of the participants – Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI); International Outcome Inventory (IOI-CI); Study Questionnaire; and the Hearing Abilities and Quality of Life Scale. The Study Questionnaire was developed specifically for this project and investigated satisfaction, benefit and advantages/disadvantages of the implant. The Hearing Abilities and Quality of Life Scale was developed by Attune and was completed by recipients pre and post implant. It evaluated the ability to understand conversation in different situations, environmental awareness, safety concerns, involvement in social activities and impact of the hearing loss on relationships. Approximately one third of participants scored between 30 and 90% on the CID/ CUNY test administered via CD post implant and approximately one fifth scored over 90%. The mean score on the CID/CUNY test administered via CD was 8% pre implant and 48% post implant. Over 80% of recipients used their device more than 8 hours a day and all recipients reported being satisfied with it. Three factors accounted for 65% of the variance on the open set sentence test score, post implant. These were stable versus progressive loss, mode of communication in childhood and time without a hearing aid on the implant ear. For the purposes of this research, a ‘stable’ loss was defined as a bilateral severe to profound hearing loss at diagnosis and a ‘progressive’ loss was one that deteriorated to this degree at some point after diagnosis. The findings from this study reveal that a cochlear implant is a viable option for adults and adolescents with a prelingual hearing loss. The majority of participants gained benefit from the device and were satisfied with it. In addition, a substantial number gained good open set speech perception ability, post implant. Consistent with previous studies, there was large intersubject variability in speech scores. The recipients who had a progressive loss, used oral communication in childhood and wore a hearing aid on the implant ear up to the time of surgery were more likely to obtain better speech perception outcomes.

Background: To date, there is a lack of research that has focused on the needs of late cochlear implanted adults with prelingual deafness. The specific study aims were: (1) to explore the met and unmet long-term needs of late cochlear implanted adults with prelingual deafness from their own perspectives and those of the employees at SCIP; and 2) to identify a consensus of the most important met and unmet long-term needs of late cochlear implanted adults with prelingual deafness. Method: This study used a modified Delphi technique with two rounds. In the first round, nine adults who were considered experts on this topic participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. The participants were five late cochlear implanted recipients with prelingual deafness who were involved in the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme in New Zealand, and four clinicians from the programme. The interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results from the first round were used to inform the development of the survey for the second round. The second round of the study involved surveying the same participants who participated in the first round. These surveys were quantitatively analysed so as to discover which needs were considered important and met, and important and unmet for the cochlear implant recipients, from the perspectives of the two categories of participants. Results: The first round of the study revealed 42 met needs and 39 unmet needs that fell into 15 categories. Of these needs, 26 met needs and 18 unmet needs were identified as being important by a majority of the participants in the second round. Conclusion: The results from the study may impact potential CI recipients’ and their families’ expectations of what the device can provide, as well as the development of future services and governmental policies in the area.

Background: A review of literature shows that cochlear implant (CI) users face difficulties in terms of music interpretation when compared to regular hearing (RH) counterparts. The electrically pulsing nature of the CI acts differently than sound waves in a normally functioning ear, leading to different interpretations of musical concepts such as pitch or timbre. An exceptional case however has been observed in a university-level violinist with bimodal hearing (congenitally deaf in the right ear, and with very minimal residual hearing in the left; they use one CI and one hearing aid) at the University of Ottawa. Objective: This study will compare the pitch recognition, timbre preference and audiation (linked to pitch and rhythmic perception) abilities between an exceptional CI user and case-control RH violinists. Data has previously been collected on CI users not playing the violin due to CI technology's limitations in pitch processing. Since the violin is considered a pitch-heavy instrument to play, it is expected that the study participant has exceptional pitch recognition skills when compared to other CI users (and perhaps RH peers), while still demonstrating comparable timbre preference and rhythmic audiation abilities to an RH comparison group. Method: Three tests were administered relating to pitch recognition on a violin-like interface, timbre preference between two heard tones, and an Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA) test for general musical knowledge in pitch and rhythm-based melodic discrimination. Results were compared between the critical case-study with CIs and RH control participants to quantify a basis in pitch perception, timbre preference and melodic audiation (applied to pitch and rhythm) skills. Implications: The study participant demonstrated comparable timbre preference and rhythmic discrimination skills to an RH comparison group. The study participant demonstrated pitch perception skills higher than previously tested CI users, despite being lower than the RH comparison group. The CI-using study participant would have developed these higher-than- average pitch perception skills through rigorous early-age training, and passion and persistence of music training on a pitch-heavy instrument despite known recommendations. This sheds light on the CI's technology not necessarily limiting users' choice of instrument due to its pitch processing, despite previous recommendations.

Orientador: Ana Cláudia Moreira Almeida Verdu / Banca: Camila Domeniconi / Banca: Kester Carrara / Resumo: Crianças com surdez adquirida antes da linguagem (surdez pré-lingual) podem ter a detecção auditiva estabelecida pela primeira vez a partir da ativação do implante coclear (IC), contudo, os repertórios de ouvir e de falar requerem aprendizagem. Uma questão de pesquisa e intervenção diz respeito às condições sob as quais estes repertórios se estabelecem e se expandem a partir do uso do IC. Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar se implantados cocleares pré-linguais aprenderiam relações condicionais entre palavra ditada e figura (AB) e entre figura e palavra impressa (BC) via exclusão; e se a aprendizagem destas relações seria condição para a emergência de relações transitivas (AC) e simétricas (CB), para a nomeação de figuras (BD) e de palavras impressas (CD) e para o responder generalizado diante das mesmas palavras ditadas no ensino (voz feminina de adulto), mas com outra intensidade e freqüência de voz (voz masculina de adulto e de criança). Foram realizados dois estudos com objetivos semelhantes, porém, com uma diferença procedimental. No Estudo 1, três crianças entre seis e sete anos de idade, com surdez pré-lingual e usuárias de IC modelo Nucleus 24k foram expostas a tarefas de emparelhamento de acordo com o modelo, pelo software MTS®. As sessões foram realizadas individualmente e gravadas em fitas VHS para registro e análise das vocalizações. O procedimento iniciava com o Pré-treino e, posteriormente, o repertório inicial era avaliado no Pré-teste, a partir do qual eram escolhidos os estímulos que participariam do ensino e testes subseqüentes. O procedimento de ensino da linha de base (AB e BC) foi o ensino por exclusão. Após a aquisição da linha de base, eram conduzidos testes de formação de classes (AC e CB), seguidos pelos testes de generalização, de nomeação de figuras (BD) e de palavras... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Prelingual acquired deafness (prelingual deafness) may present hearing detection achieved for the first time stemming from the activation of the cochlear implant (CI), although the hearing and speaking repertories require learning. A case of research and intervention describes the conditions in which these repertories are established and expand from the use of CI. The present study aimed to verify if prelingual cochlear implanted subjects, would learn conditional discriminations between the dictated word and the picture (AB) and between the picture and the printed word (BC) by exclusion; and if learning these discriminations would be a condition for the emergence of transitive relations (AC) and symmetric (CB), for the nomination of pictures (BD) and printed words (CD) and for answering in a general way, facing the same words dictated when teaching (adult female voice), with different intensity and voice frequency (male voice of adult and child). Two studies, with similar objectives were realized, employing a different procedure. In study n° 1, three children whose ages ranged from six to seven years of age, with prelingual deafness and users of CI, model Nucleus 24k were exposed to matching-to-sample, according to the model, using software MTS®. The sessions were realized individually and recorded in VHS for registering and analysis of the vocalizations. The procedure started with the Pre-training and afterwards, the initial repertory was evaluated on the Pre-test and then the stimuli were selected in order to take part of the teaching and subsequent tests. The baseline teaching procedure (AB and BC) was by exclusion. After the acquisition of the baseline, classes of equivalent stimuli tests were conducted (AC and CB), followed by the generalization tests, nomination of pictures (BD) and words (CD). Two of the three... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-02-25Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:48:38Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 battaglini_mp_me_bauru.pdf: 4950134 bytes, checksum: 026f2d3f745835396852953d61bb0e0e (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Crianças com surdez adquirida antes da linguagem (surdez pré-lingual) podem ter a detecção auditiva estabelecida pela primeira vez a partir da ativação do implante coclear (IC), contudo, os repertórios de ouvir e de falar requerem aprendizagem. Uma questão de pesquisa e intervenção diz respeito às condições sob as quais estes repertórios se estabelecem e se expandem a partir do uso do IC. Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar se implantados cocleares pré-linguais aprenderiam relações condicionais entre palavra ditada e figura (AB) e entre figura e palavra impressa (BC) via exclusão; e se a aprendizagem destas relações seria condição para a emergência de relações transitivas (AC) e simétricas (CB), para a nomeação de figuras (BD) e de palavras impressas (CD) e para o responder generalizado diante das mesmas palavras ditadas no ensino (voz feminina de adulto), mas com outra intensidade e freqüência de voz (voz masculina de adulto e de criança). Foram realizados dois estudos com objetivos semelhantes, porém, com uma diferença procedimental. No Estudo 1, três crianças entre seis e sete anos de idade, com surdez pré-lingual e usuárias de IC modelo Nucleus 24k foram expostas a tarefas de emparelhamento de acordo com o modelo, pelo software MTS®. As sessões foram realizadas individualmente e gravadas em fitas VHS para registro e análise das vocalizações. O procedimento iniciava com o Pré-treino e, posteriormente, o repertório inicial era avaliado no Pré-teste, a partir do qual eram escolhidos os estímulos que participariam do ensino e testes subseqüentes. O procedimento de ensino da linha de base (AB e BC) foi o ensino por exclusão. Após a aquisição da linha de base, eram conduzidos testes de formação de classes (AC e CB), seguidos pelos testes de generalização, de nomeação de figuras (BD) e de palavras... / Prelingual acquired deafness (prelingual deafness) may present hearing detection achieved for the first time stemming from the activation of the cochlear implant (CI), although the hearing and speaking repertories require learning. A case of research and intervention describes the conditions in which these repertories are established and expand from the use of CI. The present study aimed to verify if prelingual cochlear implanted subjects, would learn conditional discriminations between the dictated word and the picture (AB) and between the picture and the printed word (BC) by exclusion; and if learning these discriminations would be a condition for the emergence of transitive relations (AC) and symmetric (CB), for the nomination of pictures (BD) and printed words (CD) and for answering in a general way, facing the same words dictated when teaching (adult female voice), with different intensity and voice frequency (male voice of adult and child). Two studies, with similar objectives were realized, employing a different procedure. In study n° 1, three children whose ages ranged from six to seven years of age, with prelingual deafness and users of CI, model Nucleus 24k were exposed to matching-to-sample, according to the model, using software MTS®. The sessions were realized individually and recorded in VHS for registering and analysis of the vocalizations. The procedure started with the Pre-training and afterwards, the initial repertory was evaluated on the Pre-test and then the stimuli were selected in order to take part of the teaching and subsequent tests. The baseline teaching procedure (AB and BC) was by exclusion. After the acquisition of the baseline, classes of equivalent stimuli tests were conducted (AC and CB), followed by the generalization tests, nomination of pictures (BD) and words (CD). Two of the three... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of specific learning disabilities in school-aged hearing impaired children based on the proposed theoretical definition of the National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities (1981) and the theoretical definition constructed by the Canadian Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities (1981). The operationalization of these theoretical definitions, coupled with the current operational definition issued by the Texas Education Agency (1983), formulated the investigative framework.

The current study investigated whether point-accompanying characteristics, like vocalizations and hand shape, differentiate infants’ underlying motives of prelinguistic pointing. We elicited imperative (requestive) and declarative (expressive and informative) pointing acts in experimentally controlled situations, and analyzed accompanying characteristics. Experiment 1 revealed that prosodic characteristics of point-accompanying vocalizations distinguished requestive from both expressive and informative pointing acts, with little differences between the latter two. In addition, requestive points were more often realized with the whole hand than the index finger, while this was the opposite for expressive and informative acts. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1, revealing distinct prosodic characteristics for requestive pointing also when the referent was distal and when it had an index-finger shape. Findings reveal that beyond the social context, point-accompanying vocalizations give clues to infants’ underlying intentions when pointing.

This diploma thesis deals, in a broader sense, with classroom interaction betwen students and history teachers at secondary schools for hearing impaired in the Czech Republic. In a narrower sense, it examines a pattern of teacher's language behaviour and his/her motivation when choosing relevant language means during his/her history classes. The work consists of two parts - theoretical specialized background, and practical research. The theoretical part gives an overview of the relevant specialized terminology used in the Czech Republic and abroad, as well as a short insight into the development of classroom interaction between a student and a teacher at special schools and pays attention to the developmental linguo-didactic aspects in the Czech schools for hearing impaired. The practical part uses qualitative research as a means of a research method. I have observed and filmed history classes at three secondary schools for hearing impaired. As my research interests laid within the above mentioned research technique, I did not assess teaching methodology of the teachers. I focused mainly on the form of teacher's communication. Apart from class observation and filming, I also carried out an after-class interview with each teacher about his/her motivation for the choice of language behaviour. Special...