The Impact of Early Identification of Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment on Speech and Language Outcomes
Archives of Disease in Childhood
Pimperton, H., & Kennedy, C. R. (2012).
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 97(7), 648-653.
This systematic review investigates the effects of early hearing detection and intervention on later speech, language, and literacy outcomes in children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Wellcome Trust (United Kingdom)
Not stated
Published studies (not further specified)
7
<p>The authors found that "early identification must be coupled with comprehensive early intervention programmes to improve the quality of language input for children" (p. 651) with hearing loss, particularly within the sensitive period of language development of the first few months of life.</p>
<p>Included studies "used cut-off points for early identification of 6 months and 9 months, suggesting a time window for the ability to maximally benefit from intervention following early identification that ends before the age of 1 year" (p. 651).</p>
The authors concluded that universal newborn hearing screening and early identification of permanent childhood hearing loss were "associated with benefits to language development in deaf children, with more consistent evidence provided for links between early identification and positive language outcomes" (p. 651).
