Outcomes of an Auditory-Verbal Program for Children With Hearing Loss: A Comparative Study With a Matched Group of Children With Normal Hearing

For children with hearing loss, success in the classroom is not only a result of curricular knowledge; it also encompasses a broad range of abilities from interaction with peers to clear, articulate speech.The spring 2007 issue of The Volta Review includes three articles in the areas of socialization, the outcomes of children enrolled in Auditory-Verbal therapy and phonological processes of children with cochlear implants.For teachers and school personnel, the information contained in each of these articles merits a close look.Research by Eriks-Brophy and colleagues utilizes a focus-group model to identify potential facilitators and barriers to the effective integration of children with hearing loss into their families and communities.Interviews with students with hearing loss, their parents and itinerant teachers of the deaf reveal challenges that are being addressed, as well as those that still remain.Not only does the research address the needs of students with hearing loss as they negotiate their school systems, group activities and social interactions, it also discusses the roles that mothers, fathers, siblings and professionals play in the process.Clearly, as more children with hearing loss enter mainstream settings earlier, the effects of integration on these students and their families will require further attention and study.The outcomes of Auditory-Verbal therapy as evaluated by monitoring a group of young children over four years is the focus of the first phase of a study by Dornan and colleagues.This study reviews the speech and language abilities of a group of 29 children ages 2 to 6 with severe-to-profound hearing loss as compared with the abilities of children with normal hearing of the same age.Performance across the measures assessed in this first phase indicates no significant differences between these two groups.Although the study participants comprise a small sample within a restricted age group, it is important to recognize the effects of intensive listening training on overall language development.Data on the overall progress of the children involved in this longitudinal study will be an important contribution to the field.Finally, the phonological processes of a select group of very young children with cochlear implants are the subject of the investigation by Buhler and colleagues.The authors address the development of phonological skills in children with cochlear implants through the use of evaluative procedures commonly used by school and early intervention speech-language pathologists (SLPs).Their results indicate that children who had greater experience using implants to hear performed better and demonstrated fewer phonological processes.These findings are particularly informative for early intervention SLPs who are providing services to children with cochlear implants because they identify tools and strategies that can be implemented readily.The Volta Review has evolved over the past few years into a publication that addresses both current and future needs of children with hearing loss.This evolution could not have been achieved without a remarkable managing editor and editorial board.However, as with so many things that change over time, so too do the editorial personnel.Managing Editor Dawn Scarola recently stepped down from her position at The Volta Review to take on a new role as the editorial production director for another Washington-based nonprofit publisher.Her energy and enthusiasm will be missed sorely.Additionally, longtime associate editor Mary Ellen Nevins is moving on to become national director of the newly developed Professional Preparation for Cochlear Implants (PPCI) program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.To say she will be missed is an understatement.I am sure that I speak for the readers and the editorial board of The Volta Review when I offer Dawn and Mary Ellen our best wishes as they each embark upon new endeavors.

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