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Purpose: The purpose of the present investigation is to differentiate children using cochlear implants (CIs) who did or did not achieve age-appropriate language scores by mid-elementary grades and to identify risk factors for persistent language delay following early cochlear implantation. Materials and Method: Children receiving unilateral CIs at young ages (12-38 months) were tested longitudinally and classified with normal language emergence (n = 19), late language emergence (n = 22), or persistent language delay (n = 19) on the basis of their test scores at 4.5 and 10.5 years of age. Relative effects of demographic, audiological, linguistic, and academic characteristics on language emergence were determined. Results: Age at CI was associated with normal language emergence but did not differentiate late emergence from persistent delay. Children with persistent delay were more likely to use left-ear implants and older speech processor technology. They experienced higher aided thresholds and lower speech perception scores. Persistent delay was foreshadowed by low morphosyntactic and phonological diversity in preschool. Logistic regression analysis predicted normal language emergence with 84% accuracy and persistent language delay with 74% accuracy. Conclusion: CI characteristics had a strong effect on persistent versus resolving language delay, suggesting that right-ear (or bilateral) devices, technology upgrades, and improved audibility may positively influence long-term language outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of the present investigation is to differentiate children using cochlear implants (CIs) who did or did not achieve age-appropriate language scores by midelementary grades and to identify risk factors for persistent language delay following early cochlear implantation. Materials and Method: Children receiving unilateral CIs at young ages (12-38 months) were tested longitudinally and classified with normal language emergence (n = 19), late language emergence (n = 22), or persistent language delay (n = 19) on the basis of their test scores at 4.5 and 10.5 years of age. Relative effects of demographic, audiological, linguistic, and academic characteristics on language emergence were determined. Results: Age at CI was associated with normal language emergence but did not differentiate late emergence from persistent delay. Children with persistent delay were more likely to use left-ear implants and older speech processor technology. They experienced higher aided thresholds and lower speech perception scores. Persistent delay was foreshadowed by low morphosyntactic and phonological diversity in preschool. Logistic regression analysis predicted normal language emergence with 84% accuracy and persistent language delay with 74% accuracy. Conclusion: CI characteristics had a strong effect on persistent versus resolving language delay, suggesting that right-ear (or bilateral) devices, technology upgrades, and improved audibility may positively influence long-term language outcomes., It is well known by now that cochlear implants (CIs) often provide great benefit to young deaf children who are learning to talk. Research has demonstrated many children using CIs [...]

This paper describes changes in speech production of deaf children with either cochlear implants (CI), tactile aids, or hearing aids. More accurate production of speech sounds was found for the CI group. The CI group was more accurate on less-visible place features, complex manner features such as glides and fricatives, and some voicing features. (DB)

This paper reviews recent research and reports on an ongoing longitudinal study concerning effects of cochlear implants, tactile aids, and hearing aids on the development of speech production skills in 18 children and youth with profound hearing impairments. The most improved speech was seen in the subjects with cochlear implants. (DB)

A study was conducted to evaluate the development of spoken language in children following cochlear implantation. Results indicated that young children with such implants reported better spoken language learning.

Purpose: This study explores the relationship between age and resting-state regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in regions associated with higher order language skills using a population of normal children, adolescents, and young adults. Method: rCBF was measured in 33 normal participants between the ages of 7 and 19 years using single photon emission computed tomography. Participants' ages were regressed on rCBF values (normalized to whole-brain CBF) in 2 ways: (a) within anatomically defined, language-related regions of interest (ROIs) including Wernicke's area, Broca's area, angular gyrus, planum temporale, and Heschl's gyrus and (b) within clusters of voxels found to be significantly related to age in voxel-wise analyses. Results: rCBF in all anatomically defined ROIs except Heschl's gyrus declined as a function of age. Additionally, voxel-wise analyses revealed clusters where rCBF declined with age in left inferior parietal, left superior temporal, and right middle temporal regions--areas often implicated in higher order language functions. Conclusions: These data suggest that ongoing maturation (e.g., dendritic pruning) in higher order cognitive areas (e.g., angular gyrus) continues into adolescence, as reflected by declining rCBF, while the primary auditory area (Heschl's gyrus) has become a stable neuronal population by age 7 years. KEY WORDS: SPECT, rCBF, pediatric normal controls, speech and language, Specific neuroanatomic regions subserve speech and language functions. The most widely recognized brain regions involved in such functions include Wernicke's area (Carpenter, Just, Keller, Eddy, & Thulborn, 1999), Broca's area [...]

The purpose of this article is to explore various drug classifications used to treat mental illness and epilepsy in order to gain a better understanding of their possible side effects [...]

Temporal auditory-integration for short-duration, frequency-varying signals was examined in 14 children (9-17 years old) with deficits in auditory memory and reading. No significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups' thresholds as a function of signal class (i.e., fixed-frequency or tone glide) or duration. (Author/CL)

Dichotic stop-consonant-vowel identification was investigated in two experiments using two groups of learning-disabled children, demonstrating clinical manifestations of auditory-processing disorders, and two groups of matched, control Ss (eight to ten years old). (Author)

Recall performance of 22 first-grade and third-grade children who failed memory portions of a speech-language-memory screen was examined using digit and consonant-vowel (CV) stimulus sets. Data indicate children failing the screening battery differed quantitatively, rather than qualitatively, from children passing the screening batter. (Author)

The article discusses the International Siglo de Oro Drama Festival held in El Paso, Texas from March 18-22, 2015 which featured performances including the recreation of baroque celebration and theatrical adaptations of novels and pastoral plays.