Much of the hospital's success in identifying and treating children with hearing loss is the result of the rapid transfer of research findings from laboratories to clinic and bedside.

Areas of Research - Clinical and Behavioral Studies of Human Communication - Hearing Aid Research Laboratory

Longitudinal studies of speech & language development
(under the direction of Mary Pat Moeller)

Several factors (e.g., aided audibility of speech, noise, reverberation, consistency of hearing aid use) can effect the magnitude and quality of auditory input received by a child with hearing loss. Inconsistent or diminished auditory experiences over time can be expected to impact specific aspects of language learning, especially those features considered vulnerable due to low phonetic substance or brief duration. This 5-year longitudinal study will examine the rate and course of specific aspects of language development in children with mild and moderately-severe sensorineural hearing loss in comparison to children with normal hearing. We will compare the time course of phonological, lexical, and morphological learning in hearing-impaired children as a function of age of identification to address the effects of early vs. late management. The relation between measures of audibility and these specific features of language learning also will be determined. In the process of characterizing the rate and course of early development in children with hearing loss, we expect to identify early markers that would signal the need to modify amplification, alter intervention strategies, and/or explore the existence of additional disorders. Studies include the following 3 areas of investigation:

• The role of auditory experience in phonological development
  
• The role of auditory experience in lexical development
  
• The role of auditory experience in morphological development