Communication Intervention for Infants and Toddlers with Cochlear Implants
By Robbins, Amy McConkey; Topics in Language Disorders, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 16-33Publication Date: January/March 2003
Article covers the challenges presented to clinicians in providing services to children younger than age three with cochlear implants, including: (1) the developmental appropriateness of materials and procedures with very young children, (2) behavior and compliance issues, (3) the need for less didactic instruction and more incidental learning emphasis, and (4) recognition of the home as the primary venue for language learning. A proposed communication assessment protocol is suggested, which includes the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, which is a parent interview schedule that focuses on information regarding the frequency that a child demonstrates meaningful auditory or speech behaviors in everyday situations. Ten questions are presented to the parent to discover and evaluate the frequency with which the child demonstrates targeted behaviors in everyday situations. Based on the dialogue between parent and clinician, the clinician assigns a rating consistent with the frequency of occurrence of each behavior. The scoring criteria were developed to ensure uniformity among examiners in scoring parents’ responses. Intervention techniques are presented, along with specific teaching activities for clinicians to consider in practice.
Published by: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins (Website:http://www.lww.com)
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J45836
