Development of Hindi Early Speech Perception Test

Abstract

Hearing is an extremely important sensory mode for child’s ability to develop speech language ability. Child developmentally shows ability of speech reception, discrimination and finally comprehension sequentially. Children with hearing impairment shows speech perception ability defect depending on degree of hearing loss and its type. The rehabilitation therapist must understand effect of hearing impairment on speech perception ability. The rehabilitation therapist needs to check routinely development of speech perception ability to assess prognosis. In the clinical set up speech therapists are using set of test battery in the areas of speech, language, reading and cognitive ability. Recent data suggest that 260 million populations are using Hindi as first language. Therefore, to cover huge number of population great need felt to develop Hindi early speech perception test for clinical use. Close set Hindi picturable items were kept in three subsections. Each section was having 12 picture items. Each section was having separate scoring procedure. The field testing was included from 3-7 years age range of normal hearing children. Four groups were formed consisting 226 subjects in each groups. Independent‘t’ tail test was used to compare means score of speech perception across different age range. Inter tester, test- retest reliability and contain validity score were obtained for each age group. There was significant age effect was seen over speech perception ability. Higher age group showed significant higher score in the mean speech perception ability. There was no significant gender effect was seen over speech perception ability.