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The primary objectives of this research were to establish whether dynamic assessment could be implemented in children with hearing loss with a range of language abilities and to obtain pilot data to support the use of dynamic assessment for determining narrative language learning difficulties in children with hearing loss. Participants were three children aged seven to 12 years with moderate to profound hearing loss. The Test of Narrative Language (TNL) was used to measure narrative skills before and after two Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) sessions. Responsiveness to mediation in MLE sessions was compared to ability to learn based on a comparison of pre- versus post-test TNL scores. Two participants showed substantial improvements in their Oral Narrative subtest scores, and showed good responsiveness and modifiability in MLE sessions. One participant showed no change in TNL results, and low responsiveness and low modifiability in MLE sessions. Children with greater response to mediation had more improved TNL scores. Differential diagnosis of language learning difficulties in children with hearing loss may be possible using "dynamic assessment" (DA).

To investigate listening skills in infant hearing aid users using the LittlEARS® Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ). Caregivers completed the LEAQ, and hearing aid data logging was recorded, at infant age 3–7 months and 7–21 months. Seventy infant hearing aid users with permanent bilateral hearing loss, no developmental comorbidities, aged 3–7 months at first visit. Infants with mild and moderate losses tended to have scores within the normative range at the early time point (88%), but 29% were below the normative range when older. Thirty percent of infants with severe hearing loss were outside the normative range at the early time point and 60% outside the normative range when older. Infants with profound loss were almost always (95%) outside the normative range. At the later time point, and for infants with severe-to-profound loss, low LEAQ scores were associated with fewer daily hours hearing aid use. Scores were poorer than previous reports in the literature for infant hearing aid users. This study provides further knowledge on infant listening performance and hearing aid use over time that can be used to guide management of individual cases and to develop and audit service quality improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suboptimal listening conditions interfere with listeners' on-line comprehension. A degraded source signal, noise that interferes with sound transmission, and/or listeners' cognitive or linguistic limitations are examples of adverse listening conditions. Few studies have explored the interaction of these factors in pediatric populations. Yet, they represent an increasing challenge in educational settings. We will in the following report on our research and address the effect of adverse listening conditions pertaining to speakers' voices, background noise, and children's cognitive capacity on listening comprehension. Results from our studies clearly indicate that children risk underachieving both in formal assessments and in noisy class-rooms when an examiner or teacher speaks with a hoarse (dysphonic) voice. This seems particularly true when task complexity is low or when a child is approaching her/his limits of mastering a comprehension task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate listening skills in infant hearing aid users using the LittlEARS ® Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ)., Design: Caregivers completed the LEAQ, and hearing aid data logging was recorded, at infant age 3-7 months and 7-21 months., Study Sample: Seventy infant hearing aid users with permanent bilateral hearing loss, no developmental comorbidities, aged 3-7 months at first visit., Results: Infants with mild and moderate losses tended to have scores within the normative range at the early time point (88%), but 29% were below the normative range when older. Thirty percent of infants with severe hearing loss were outside the normative range at the early time point and 60% outside the normative range when older. Infants with profound loss were almost always (95%) outside the normative range. At the later time point, and for infants with severe-to-profound loss, low LEAQ scores were associated with fewer daily hours hearing aid use. Scores were poorer than previous reports in the literature for infant hearing aid users., Conclusions: This study provides further knowledge on infant listening performance and hearing aid use over time that can be used to guide management of individual cases and to develop and audit service quality improvements.