Analysis and Comparison of Oral Language Quality in Hearing Children with Hearing Loss Ones Having Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants from the Two Aspects of Syntax and Semantics

Although the hearing skills of children with hearing loss are improved with the help of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and speech therapy, they have difficulties understanding and producing language because of their delayed hearing onset. Considering that these children go to school with their hearing peers, it is needed that their oral language performance be compared with the hearing students. Hence, the present study analyzed and compared the oral language skills of children with hearing loss having hearing aids and cochlea implants, with their hearing counterparts. For this purpose, 39 children aged 6-8 years were examined by the Told-p:3 test. The participants included 16 hearing children, 13 children with cochlear implants, and 10 children with hearing aids. The data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The results showed no significant difference in syntactic and semantic skills of children having hearing aids and cochlear implants. However, the findings indicated a significant difference between hearing children and children with hearing loss ones having hearing aids and cochlear implants in their semantic and syntactic skills. Therefore, it is needed that children with hearing loss go through verbal-auditory rehabilitation training until they reach the hearing level of hearing children. Neglecting this issue can have detrimental effects on their educational achievements and future job performance.