Correlation Between Language Skills and Degree of Hearing in a Group of Preschool Egyptian Children with Hearing Loss

Ezzat, Eman; Osman, Dalia Mostafa; Behairy, Essam Abdel Wanees; Tieama, Asmaa Mohamed; Anwar, Hanan

doi:10.21608/ejentas.2022.142495.1524

Correlation Between Language Skills and Degree of Hearing in a Group of Preschool Egyptian Children with Hearing Loss

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Oto Rhino Laryngology Department, Phoniatric Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt.

² Phoniatric Unit, ENT department, Cairo University

³ Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University

⁴ ENT department, Faculty of medicine, Menofia University

⁵ Lecturer of Phoniatric, Oto Rhino Laryngology Department, Phoniatric Unit, Faculty of Medicine, El Menoufia University, Egypt

10.21608/ejentas.2022.142495.1524

Abstract

Background: Language acquisition in hearing-impaired children is enhanced by adequate exposure to auditory stimuli
achieved by early, regular hearing aid fitting and proper rehabilitation programs for optimum linguistic experience.
Objective: This research aims to examine the relationship between hearing impairment (HI) (at degrees of moderate
to severe) and various language skills development to understand these issues better and plan appropriate intervention
programs.
Patients and Methods: 25 cases (aged from 3 to less than 5) with moderate to severe degree of sensory neural hearing
loss (SNHL) and average non-verbal intelligence participated in our study, recruited from Phoniatric unit outpatient clinic
in Menofia University Hospital, from September 2020 to June 2021. The selected patients were subjected to language
assessment protocol with the “A Proficient Preschooler Language Evaluation Tool” (APPLE). The results of the cases
were compared to 25 control subjects matched for age and gender.
Results: By studying the correlation between cases and control subjects (regarding the development of different language
skills using APPLE tool which presented in (receptive, expressive, total language, action picture subtests, narrative skills
subtests, comprehension skills test, understanding simple question, and articulation test), there was a highly significant
difference. Highly significant correlations were found between hearing aid use duration and language development and
between the duration of rehabilitation and language development.
Conclusion: Language acquisition of hearing-impaired children depends on the HI degree, early and regular wearing of
hearing aid with the suitable family enviroment, and proper intervention programs.

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