Understanding of Instructions in Pupils after Cochlear Implantation

Success in school depends on language comprehension. Based on our evaluation in comprehension of instructions in simultaneously cochlear implanted schoolchildren, we compared these with the results on understanding instructions of pupils, listening bimodal or provided sequentially bilateral within one year or later than twelve month with cochlear implants (CI). This might be important for counselling and therapy.

Results of 220 children in the subtest Comprehension of Instructions from the Marburger Sprachverständnistest für Kinder was evaluated retrospectively. Age at test of these children is 59 to 91 months and the range of hearing experience calculated from the first cochlear implantation is 13 to 80 months.

The results in percentile ranking compared to normal hearing same aged pupils are presented for simultaneously bilateral implanted children (group 2; n = 98) compared to children sequentially bilateral provided within one year (group 3; n = 60), sequentially bilateral cochlear implanted later than 12 months (group 4; n = 24) and group 1 (n = 38) bimodal provided.

Compared to group 2, a significantly lower understanding can only be seen in group 3. Age at test is significantly higher for the children in group 4 compared to group 2, while it is comparable for the other groups. Compared to group 2, group 1 is the only one with significantly lower hearing experience.

In our evaluation simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation leads to better comprehension of instructions than sequential implantation within one year. We do not know if the higher test age of group 4 leads to the comparably good results in instruction comprehension. In the case of early listening with hearing aids, a later bimodal supply may also lead to a comparably good understanding of instructions.

Poster-PDF A-1340.pdf

Publication History

Article published online:
13 May 2021