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Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a kind of developmental disorders that would present problems in communication, social interaction and behavior. Recently more and more children with ASD are receiving cochlear implants. Here we report listening skills and communication abilities in children with ASD who underwent cochlear implantation. Method: Totally 23 ASD patients who received cochlear implants in our hospital, were included in this study. All children were diagnosed as ASD either before or after cochlear implantation. The patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of their ASDs: five severely disabled patients as group A, and 18 mildly impaired patients as group B. MAIS and MUSS were used to assess listening and speech skills, respectively. Reports from the parents and the teachers were also taken into account to assess the communication mode in daily life. Results: The mean age at implantation and the mean fitting period of cochlear implant were not significantly different between the two groups. 15 of 18 children in group B were able to communicate with spoken language, including cases in combination with sign or written language, while no children in group A were able to communicate with spoken language. However, all children in group A were able to notice and distinguish some sound in their daily lives, for example, birdsong, music, or bell ring at the school. The scores of MAIS and MUSS were lower in group A than those in group B. However, postoperative scores were better than preoperative scores in all children of group A. Conclusion: Early intervention and appropriate care would reduce difficulties in children with ASD, by helping them improve communication abilities and learning new skills. 171 These results suggest that cochlear implantation is an effective intervention for children who both have ASD and congenital profound hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder(ASD) is the name for a group of developmental disability that can cause significant communication, social, and behavioral challenges. Recently the number of pediatric cochlear implant candidates and recipients who have a diagnosis of ASD is increasing. We report about listening skills and communication abilities in children with ASD receiving cochlear implantation. Patients & Method: 23 children, 16 boys and 7 girls, who received cochlear implants at our hospital between 1993 and 2013. The mean age at implantation were 43.6 months. (SD=31.0) All children were diagnosed as having ASD, either before or after receiving a cochlear implant. Divided them into two groups, 5 children are severely disabled by their symptoms (Group A), other 18 children are mildly impaired (Group B). Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale(MAIS) and Meaningful Use of Speech Scale(MUSS) were used to assess listening skills and speech skills. Reports of parents and teachers were also used to consider mode of communication that children use in daily life. Results: 65% of children were able to communicate using speech, including cases that using sign language or writing in combination with. Children in group A were unable to communicate with speech. However, all 5 children were able to recognize or understand some sound in their daily lives, like birdsong, music, or bell ring at the school. Comparison of two groups with the scores of MAIS and MUSS, the scores of group A were low than that of group B, however, when compared with themselves preoperatively, these children did obviously improve. Conclusion: Early treatment for ASD and proper care can reduce individuals' difficulties while helping them improve communication abilities and learn new skills. These results suggest cochlear implantation is an effective intervention for children accompanied with both ASD and congenital profound hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]