Long-term progress of language and speech perception in pediatric cochlear implant users

Abstract

It has been widely reported that young children who have undergone a cochlear implant achieve improvement in both listening ability and word utterance. However, the effects of a cochlear implant with respect to language development have not previously been fully examined. To gain a broader perspective, we examined listening ability as well as language development within Japan's habilitation environment. Here, based on the clinical data to date, we report on our findings vis-à-vis both benefits and problem points. We also indicate topics needing to be addressed in the future.