Speech perception assesment in children with cochler implant in free hearing field

Abstract

Speech audiometry, as one of the methods for hearing examination has been applied in our country. Compared to tonal audiometry, it provides us with the information how an individual hears and understand speech. It is practiced with adults and children. In our practical work, this method has proved useful for following results of re/habilitation of hearing and speech in children. The aim of this work is to examine speech perception of children with cochlear implant in free hearing field. Work method: the sample consisted of twenty children with cochlear implant, they were of average intellectual abilities, without other impairments, of both sexes, of chronological age between 5 to 9 and they were included into re/habilitation treatment for at least a year. With speech audiometry in free hearing field we estimated the ability to perceive one syllable and two syllable words. The word list was taken from Triage Articulation Test (Vladisavljevic, Kostic)which was standardized for our speech - language area, and consists of 30 words. The examiner presented a list of words presented by the microphone without the ability to read and see words from face and lips. Results present that two thirds of examined children had more than 80% correctly repeated words, that they perceived two syllable words and to those that had high tone sounds. Understanding one syllable words greatly lowered no matter what the sound structure is.