Sign Movements Predict Consonant Acquisition in Young Children with Cochlear Implants

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Sign Movements Predict Consonant
Acquisition in Young Children with Cochlear
Implants

• ASHA 2007
• Boston, Massachusetts

Brenda Seal, Ph.D. Debra Nussbaum, M.S. Kate
Belzner, Ph.D/Au.D Student Susanne Scott,
M.S. Lincoln Gray, Ph.D. Bettie Waddy-Smith,
M.A.
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Research QuestionWhat changes occur in sign and
spoken language acquisition following
implantation?
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English Consonants American Signs
Welcome w e l k ? m
Welcome ??R?L)(
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At 13 months old, 1 month post-implant
11 different sign movements 7 different
handshapes 4 different locations 1 consonant
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17 months old, 4 months post implant
2 new sign movements (sum 13) 1 new
handshape (sum 8) 1 new location (sum
5) 3 new consonants (sum 4)
At 21 months old, 8 months post implant
3 new consonants (sum 7) voiceless bilabial
plosive /p/ voiceless velar plosive
/k/ voiceless labiodental fricative /f/
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At 24 months old, 11 months post implant
5 new sign movements (sum 18) 3 new
handshapes (sum 11) 2 new locations (sum
7) 3 new consonants (sum 10)
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Answering the research questions

• What changes occur in childrens sign and spoken
  language acquisition post implantation?
• Are the changes predictable?
• Across ages?
• Across children with secondary disabilities?
• How can these findings be used for programming?

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About the Deaf Community Perspective

• There is not one unified deaf community
  perspective on cochlear implants
• Attitudes towards cochlear implants are changing
• Culturally deaf families are beginning to
  consider implantation for their young children

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Cochlear Implants and Sign Language Putting It
All Together April 2002

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CIEC website
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KidsWorld Deaf Net

• Educational Settings
• The Deaf Community Perspective
• Communication
• Methodology
• Sign Language Use
  
• Fitting the Speech
• Processor
• Training the Ear to Listen
• Resources

• What is a Cochlear Implant?
• Cochlear Implant Candidacy
• Factors Influencing
• Performance
• The Decision-Making Process
• Considerations in the
• Implantation Process
• What About Insurance?
• Surgical Considerations

Available in Spanish
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• Cochlear Implants and Children Considerations
  for Implantation and Educational Planning

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National Training Workshops

• Spoken Language and Sign
• Optimizing Learning for Children with Cochlear
  Implants

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What we are learning

• Spoken Language and SignIt does not have to be
  a competition!

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However

• For spoken language to develop
• Opportunities must be available to develop
  listening and speaking skills
• There must be times when sign is not utilized
• Spoken language must be valued and utilized in
  the childs daily environment

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The Big Picture

• We want children to be the most effective
  language users and communicators possible.
• In any way possible!
• As early as possible !

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Planning for diverse children
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The path of learning to listen may vary for
each child
and

• And each child with an implant will vary in
  their ability to listen to learn

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Receptive Communication Continuum
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Receptive Communication

• V Accesses communication visually via ASL/Signs
  or visual
• clarifiers
• VA Accesses most information visually via
  ASL/Signs or visual
• clarifiers obtains some benefit
  from auditory information
• VA Equally accesses information via ASL/Signs or
  Spoken English
• Av Accesses most information through spoken
  English, sometimes
• needs support via signs or visual
  clarifiers
• A Accesses all information through Spoken
  English

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Expressive Communication Continuum
Continuum concept Bettie Waddy-Smith
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Expressive Communication

• S Uses Signs/ASL Only
• So Primarily uses Signs/ASL uses some oral
  communication
• SO Equally able to use sign and oral
  communication
• Os Primarily uses oral communication uses
  signs for clarification
• O Uses oral communication only

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Develop an Individualized Language Plan

• To guide
• Language use
• Placement
• Child and Family Supports

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Varied Roles of Sign Language

• As a transition to oral language
• As an ongoing clarifier of spoken English.
• Bilingual development of ASL and Spoken English

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LW

• Age 411 years
• Adopted at 25 years
• Received CI at age 29 years
• Consistent use of both ASL and Spoken English in
  the home (mom is interpreter)
• Consistent user of CI
• Developing equal use of both ASL and English

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LW
Receptive Continuum
Expressive Continuum
Fully Sign Communicator
Mostly Oral Communicator
Mostly Sign Communicator
Fully Oral Communicator
S
SO
Os
O
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JC Age 8.3

• Cochlear implant activation at 3.1 years not
  all electrodes could be inserted
• Problems with getting a good map and keeping coil
  in place
• Spanish used in the home
• Family very interested in having Jason become an
  auditory communicator
• Consistently aware of Ling 6 sounds
• Demonstrates awareness of single words and
  familiar sentences in a closed set does not
  generalize spoken language skills outside of
  therapy sessions
• Additional learning disabilities
• Language development has been slow in both ASL
  and Spoken English
• Difficulty in spontaneous and imitative
  production of new words and phrases

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JC
Receptive Continuum

Expressive Continuum
Fully Sign Communicator
Mostly Oral Communicator
Mostly Sign Communicator
Fully Oral Communicator
S
SO
Os
O
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Programs and Services at Kendall Demonstration
Elementary School
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MMs of Language Use

• M eeting each child at their auditory
  functioning level
• M odifying the challenge factors
• M onitoring use of sign language
• M aking links between sign and spoken language
• M odeling spoken language

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Your take away message

• The demographics of children with cochlear
  implants varies widely
• Spoken language and sign language outcomes vary
  for each child with a cochlear implant
• Early use of sign language can support the
  acquisition of spoken language development
• Continued research is important to support and
  validate the use of sign language with implanted
  children

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Thank you to

• James Madison University and Gallaudet
  Universitys Cochlear Implant Education Center
  for funding the graduate students who worked on
  this project English King, Kelly Clingempeel
  Skubicz, Christi Hess, and Kate Belzner
• The University of Virginia Cochlear Implant
  Center (Lori Bobsin) for referrals
• The families and children involved in our
  project.

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• For more information contact
• Debra.Nussbaum_at_gallaudet.edu