Children with cochlear implants: cognitive skills, adaptive behaviors, social and emotional skills.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to examine cognitive skills, adaptive behavior, social and emotional skills in deaf children with cochlear implant (CI) compared to normal hearing children.

METHODS

The study included twenty children affected by profound hearing loss implanted with a CI compared to 20 healthy children matched to chronological age and gender.

RESULTS

Results of this study indicated that 55% of children with CI showed a score in the normal range of nonverbal intelligence (IQ > 84), 40% in the borderline range (71 < IQ < 84) and 5% were in mild range(50 < IQ < 70). No significant differences were found after comparison with normal hearing children.Children with CI reported more abnormalities in emotional symptoms (p = .018) and peer problems(p = .037) than children with normal hearing. Age of CI was negatively correlated with IQ (p = .002),positively correlated with emotional symptoms (p = .04) and with peer problems (p = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

CI has a positive effect on the lives of deaf children, especially if it is implanted in much earlier ages.