Comparative analysis of cognitive-linguistic evaluation in normal hearing schoolchildren and users of cochlear implants

PURPOSE: When children becom cochlear implant users, they have already had the opportunity to develop phonological skills; however, it is possible that they miss sound information during speech and, consequently, present difficulties in competences associated with the learning of reading and writing. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 11 normal hearing children aged 7-10 years and a right-ear cochlear implant user enrolled in the 3rd grade of Elementary School. The Cognitive-Linguistic Assessment protocol was used to evaluate the study participants. Data were transcribed and analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The following sub-tests presented the highest percentage of children with superior performance: alphabet in sequence (82%), reading of pseudo-words (82%), syllable segmentation (73%), word repetition (82%), copying of shapes (72%), and rapid naming (100%).The cochlear implant user presented superior performance in all the sub-tests except for word repetition, in which average performance was observed. In the rhythm sub-test, none of the normal hearing children presented superior performance, and the cochlear implant user performed poorly. CONCLUSAO: A crianca usuaria de implante coclear apresentou um perfil cognitivo-linguistico bastante semelhante ao dos seus pares ouvintes. Ao que parece, as dificuldades de realizacao de algumas tarefas cognitivo-linguisticas estao relacionadas a fatores que vao alem da integridade auditiva, haja vista que, em alguns subtestes, criancas ouvintes, obtiveram desempenho abaixo do esperado. CONCLUSION: The cochlear implant user presented a cognitive-linguistic profile very similar to those of his hearing peers.