Comparing the vocabulary, grammatical, narrative, and phonological awareness skills among children with Hearing Loss and Normal Hearing and investigating the association between these language skills

authors:

avatar Zahra Ghayoumi , avatar Zahra Fathalizade , avatar Milad Karimi , avatar Parnia Pourmirzaei , avatar Fatemeh Haresabadi , avatar Toktam Maleki Shahmahmood ORCID , *

Koomesh: Vol.25, issue 2; 240-252
published online: August 01, 2023
article type: Research Article
received: October 02, 2022
accepted: April 01, 2023

how to cite: Ghayoumi Z, Fathalizade Z, Karimi M, Pourmirzaei P, Haresabadi F, et al. Comparing the vocabulary, grammatical, narrative, and phonological awareness skills among children with Hearing Loss and Normal Hearing and investigating the association between these language skills. koomesh. 2023;25(2):e152822. 

Abstract

Introduction: Children with hearing loss (HL) are susceptible to language delay due to the reduced ability to receive and process audible sounds, and their access to normal language development is the main concern of their family and related professionals. This study aimed to investigate the differences present in macro- and micro-structures of oral narrative, lexical and phonological awareness skills among preschool-aged children with sensorineural HL who wear hearing aids (HA) or cochlear implant prosthesis (CI) and, children with typical development (TD). Also, the association between these language domains was explored. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three HL children in the age range of 4 to 7 years old (including 13 children with HA and 10 children with CI), and 12 children with normal hearing were evaluated using storytelling, a lexical task, and three phonological awareness tasks. Narrative samples were transcribed and coded for several macro- (i.e., coherence) and micro-structure (i.e., grammatical complexity and cohesion) measures. Results: The language measures were not significantly different between children with HA and CI. Compared to their same-age peers, children with HA were significantly weaker in all language domains except syllable segmentation. Also, the scores of CI children were significantly lower than their TD peers in all language measures except syllable segmentation and coherence index (P<0.01). A positive and significant correlation (P<0.05) was observed among phonological awareness skills, lexical performances, and narrative macro- and micro-structure measures in both groups of children with HL and typical development. Conclusion: Regardless of the type of hearing aids, children with HL are at greater risk for a deficit in basic and higher level language skills and so, need additional speech and language training, especially in preschool years. The associations between different language skills and their effects on language acquisition and rehabilitation of HL children are discussed.

References

  • 1.

    Aqayi F, Rahmani S, Maleki Shahmahmood T, Haresabadi F, Tayarani Nezhad H. Comparison of the high-frequency morpho-syntactic structures of cochlear implant children and children with normal hearing aged 4-6 years. Koomesh 2020; 22: 85-91.(Persian).##https://doi.org/10.29252/koomesh.22.1.85.

  • 2.

    Lowenstein JH, Nittrouer S. The devil in the details can be hard to spot: Malapropisms and children with hearing loss. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2021; 52: 335-353.

  • 3.

    Omidvar S, Jafari Z, Hashemi SB, Zarei K. Effects of cochlear implantation on auditory, language and speech skills of children with and without auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. Koomesh 2013; 15: 59-66. (Persian).

  • 4.

    Nittrouer S, Sansom E, Low K, Rice C, Caldwell-Tarr A. Language structures used by kindergartners with cochlear implants: Relationship to phonological awareness, lexical knowledge and hearing loss. Ear Hear 2014; 35: 506-510.

  • 5.

    Rezaei M, Emadi M, Zamani P, Farahani F, Lotfi G. Speech intelligibility in Persian hearing impaired children with cochlear implants and hearing aids. J Audiol Otol 2017; 21: 57-60.

  • 6.

    Spencer LJ, Oleson JJ. Early listening and speaking skills predict later reading proficiency in pediatric cochlear implant users. Ear Hear 2008; 29: 270-280.

  • 7.

    Bradham TS, Fonnesbeck C, Toll A, Hecht BF. The listening and spoken language data repository: design and project overview. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2018; 49: 108-120.

  • 8.

    Tomblin JB, Oleson J, Ambrose SE, Walker EA, Moeller MP. Early literacy predictors and secondgrade outcomes in children who are hard of hearing. Child Dev 2020; 91: 179-197.

  • 9.

    Antia SD, Lederberg AR, Easterbrooks S, Schick B, Branum-Martin L, Connor CM, et al. Language and reading progress of young deaf and hard-of-hearing children. J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ 2020; 25: 334-350.

  • 10.

    Johnson C, Goswami U. Phonological awareness, vocabulary, and reading in deaf children with cochlear implants. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2010; 53: 237-261.

  • 11.

    Tobey EA, Thal D, Niparko JK, Eisenberg LS, Quittner AL, Wang NY, et al. Influence of implantation age on school-age language performance in pediatric cochlear implant users. Int J Audiol 2013; 52: 219-229.

  • 12.

    Halle F, Duchesne L. Morphosyntactic skills in deaf children with cochlear implants: A systematic review. Canad J Speech Lang Pathol Audiol 2015; 39: 260-297.

  • 13.

    Iwasaki S, Nishio S, Moteki H, Takumi Y, Fukushima K, Kasai N, et al. Language development in Japanese children who receive cochlear implant and/or hearing aid. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2012; 76: 433-438.

  • 14.

    Zamani P, Soleymani Z, Rashedi V, Farahani F, Lotf G, Rezaei M. Spoken and written narrative in persian-speaking students who received cochlear implant and/or hearing aid. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2018; 11: 250-258.

  • 15.

    Murri A, Cuda D, Guerzoni L, Fabrizi E. Narrative abilities in early implanted children. Laryngoscope 2015; 125: 1685-1690.

  • 16.

    Stadler MA, Ward GC. Supporting the narrative development of young children. Early Child Educ J 2005; 33: 73-80.##https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-005-0024-4.

  • 17.

    Guo L, Tomblin JB, Samelson V. Speech disruptions in the narratives of English-speaking children with specific language impairment. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2008; 51: 722-738.

  • 18.

    Boons T, De Raeve L, Langereis M, Peeraer L, Wouters J, Van Wieringen A. Narrative spoken language skills in severely hearing impaired school-aged children with cochlear implants. Res Dev Disabil 2013; 34: 3833-3846.

  • 19.

    Zamani P, Soleymani Z, Khatoonabadi AR, Rezaei M, Rezai H. A systematic review of narrative-based language intervention with children who have language disorders caused by hearing impairments. Aud Vestib Res 2016; 25: 98-110.

  • 20.

    Rezvani R, Soleymani Z, Jalali S, Modaresi Y. Comparative study of story coherence in persian speaking children with specific language impairment and normal development. J Paramed Sci Rehabil 2016; 5: 34-41. (Persian).

  • 21.

    Safaeyan S, Maleki Shahmahmood T, Ezazi L, Aghaei F, Rahmani S, Sabermoghadam R. Story retelling skills of 6-7 years old persian speaking children with cochlear implant. J Paramed Sci Rehabil 2021; 10: 29-38. (Persian).

  • 22.

    Nakhshab M, Arabpour M, Kazemi Y. Narrative assessment methods in children: a systematic review. J Paramed Sci Rehabil 2014; 10: 704-719. (Persian).

  • 23.

    Jones A, Toscano E, Botting N, Atkinson J, Denmark T, Herman R, et al. Narrative skills in deaf children who use spoken English: Dissociations between macro and microstructural devices. Res Dev Disabil 2016; 59: 268-282.

  • 24.

    Crosson J, Geers A. Analysis of narrative ability in children with cochlear implants. Ear Hear 2001; 22: 381-394.

  • 25.

    Reuterskild C, Ibertsson T, Sahln B. Venturing beyond the sentence level: narrative skills in children with hearing loss. Volta Rev 2010; 110: 389-406.##https://doi.org/10.17955/tvr.110.3.638.

  • 26.

    Nikolopoulos TP, Lloyd H, Starczewski H, Gallaway C. Using SNAP dragons to monitor narrative abilities in young deaf children following cochlear implantation. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2003; 67: 535-541.

  • 27.

    Ambrose SE, Fey ME, Eisenberg LS. Phonological awareness and print knowledge of preschool children with cochlear implants. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2012; 55: 811-823.

  • 28.

    Yorgun M, Srmeliolu , Tuncer , Tarkan , zdemir S, eki E, et al. Quality of life in pediatric cochlear implantations. J Int Adv Otol 2015; 11: 218-221.

  • 29.

    James D, Rajput K, Brown T, Sirimanna T, Brinton J, Goswami U. Phonological awareness in deaf children who use cochlear implants. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2005; 48: 1511-1528.

  • 30.

    Khan KS, Logan J, Justice LM, Bowles RP, Piasta SB. The contribution of vocabulary, grammar, and phonological awareness across a continuum of narrative ability levels in young children. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2021; 64: 3489-3503.

  • 31.

    Hipfner-Boucher K, Milburn T, Weitzman E, Greenberg J, Pelletier J, Girolametto L. Relationships between preschoolers' oral language and phonological awareness. First Lang 2014; 34: 178-197.##https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723714525945.

  • 32.

    Korecky-Krll K, Dobek N, Blaschitz V, Sommer-Lolei S, Boniecki M, Uzunkaya-Sharma K, et al. Vocabulary as a central link between phonological working memory and narrative competence: evidence from monolingual and bilingual four-year-olds from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Lang Speech 2019; 62: 546-569.

  • 33.

    Tabors PO, Roach KA, Snow CE. Home language and literacy environment: Final results. In: DK TPe, editor. Beginning Literacy with Language: Young Children Learning at Home and School. Baltimore: Paul H Brookes Publishing 2001; p. 111-138.

  • 34.

    Mayer M. Frog, Where Are You. Dial Books for Young Readers. New York, NY, USA1969.

  • 35.

    Ghayoumi Anaraki Z, Marini A, Yadegari F, Bakhtiari BM, Fakharian E, Rahgozar M, et al. Narrative discourse impairments in persian-speaking persons with traumatic brain injury: A pilot study. Folia Phoniatr Logop 2014; 66: 273-279.

  • 36.

    Hasanzadeh S, Minaee A. Adaptation and standardization of language development test TOLD-P: 3 for Persian language children. Res Exc Child 2001. (Persian).

  • 37.

    Soleymani Z, Kazemi Dastjerdi M. Validity and reliability of the phonological awareness test. Psychol J 2005; 9: 82-100.

  • 38.

    Dinno A. Nonparametric pairwise multiple comparisons in independent groups using Dunn's test. Stata J 2015; 15: 292-300.##https://doi.org/10.1177/1536867X1501500117.

  • 39.

    Nittrouer S, Muir M, Tietgens K, Moberly AC, Lowenstein JH. Development of phonological, lexical, and syntactic abilities in children with cochlear implants across the elementary grades. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2018; 61: 2561-2577.

  • 40.

    Dehghani Golestani S, Jalilevand N, Kamali M. A comparison of morpho-syntactic abilities in deaf children with cochlear implant and 5-year-old normal-hearing children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2018; 110: 27-30.

  • 41.

    Jing L, Vermeire K, Mangino A, Reuterskild C. Rhyme awareness in children with normal hearing and children with cochlear implants: An exploratory study. Front Psychol 2019; 10: 2072-2080.

  • 42.

    Sterne A, Goswami U. Phonological awareness of syllables, rhymes, and phonemes in deaf children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2000; 41: 609-625.

  • 43.

    Safaeian Titkanlou S, Maleki Shahmahmood T, Ghayoumi-Anaraki Z, Haresabadi F, Haddadi Avval M, Soltani M, et al. Comparing the phonological awareness skills between persian-speaking monolingual cochlear-implanted and healthy children. J Arak Univ Med Sci 2020; 23: 840-849. (Persian)##https://doi.org/10.32598/jams.23.6.6263.1.

  • 44.

    Locke JL. A theory of neurolinguistic development. Brain Langu 1997; 58: 265-326.

  • 45.

    Briscoe J, Bishop DV, Norbury CF. Phonological processing, language, and literacy: A comparison of children with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss and those with specific language impairment. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2001; 42: 329-340.

  • 46.

    Kawar K, Walters J, Fine J. Narrative production in Arabic-speaking adolescents with and without hearing loss. J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ 2019; 24: 255-269.

  • 47.

    Eisenberg LS, Kirk KI, Martinez AS, Ying EA, Miyamoto RT. Communication abilities of children with aided residual hearing: comparison with cochlear implant users. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004; 130: 563-569.

  • 48.

    Geers AE, Nicholas JG, Sedey AL. Language skills of children with early cochlear implantation. Ear Hear 2003; 24: 46-58.

  • 49.

    De Stefano P, Pisani F, Cossu G. Diverse linguistic development in prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants. Behav Neurol 2019; 1630718: 1-7.

  • 50.

    Nittrouer S, Caldwell-Tarr A. Language and literacy skills in children with cochlear implants: Past and present findings. Pediatr Cochlear Implant 2016; 177-197.##https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2788-3_11.

  • 51.

    Bates E, Goodman JC. On the emergence of grammar from the lexicon. Emerg Lang 2013; p: 47-98.##https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410602367-7.

  • 52.

    Schuele CM, Boudreau D. Phonological awareness intervention: Beyond the basics. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2008; 39: 3-20.

  • 53.

    Metsala JL, Stavrinos D, Walley AC. Children's spoken word recognition and contributions to phonological awareness and nonword repetition: A 1-year follow-up. Appl Psycholinguist 2009; 30: 101-121.##https://doi.org/10.1017/S014271640809005X.

  • 54.

    Bialystok E. Metalinguistic awareness: The development of children's representations of language. In: Garton PA, editor. Systems of representation in children: Development and use. London: John Wiley & Sons 1993; p: 211-233.

  • 55.

    McKeough A, Bird S, Tourigny E, Romaine A, Graham S, Ottmann J, et al. Storytelling as a foundation to literacy development for Aboriginal children: Culturally and developmentally appropriate practices. Can Psychol 2008; 49: 148-154.##https://doi.org/10.1037/0708-5591.49.2.148.

  • 56.

    Chaney C. Language development, metalinguistic awareness, and emergent literacy skills of 3-year-old children in relation to social class. Appl Psycholinguist 1994; 15: 371-394.##https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716400004501.

  • 57.

    Cooper DH, Roth FP, Speece DL, Schatschneider C. The contribution of oral language skills to the development of phonological awareness. Appl Psycholinguist 2002; 23: 399-416.##https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716402003053.

  • 58.

    Dale PS, Crain-Thoreson C, Robinson NM. Linguistic precocity and the development of reading: The role of extralinguistic factors. Appl Psycholinguist 1995;16: 173-187.##https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716400007074.

  • 59.

    Morgan JL, Demuth K. Signal to syntax: Bootstrapping from speech to grammar in early acquisition. Psychology 2014.##https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315806822.

  • 60.

    Christophe Nespor A. Reflections on phonological bootstrapping: Its role for lexical and syntactic acquisition. Lang Cogn Proces 1997; 12: 585-612.##https://doi.org/10.1080/016909697386637.

  • 61.

    Maleki Shahmahmood T, Soleymani Z, Kazemi Y, Haresabadi F, Eghbal N, Kazemi H, et al. The effects of phonological short term memory on lexical and grammatical production skills in Persian children with developmental language disorder. J Psycholinguist Res 2020; 49: 1067-1082.