The age at which young deaf children receive cochlear implants and their vocabulary and speech-production growth: is there an added value for early implantation?

Objective: The age at which a child receives a cochlear implant seems to be one of the more important predictors of his or her speech and language outcomes. However, understanding the association between age at implantation and child outcomes is complex because a child's age, length of device use, and age at implantation are highly related. In this study, we investigate whether there is an added value to earlier implantation or whether advantages observed in child outcomes are primarily attributable to longer device use at any given age.

Measuring progress in children with autism spectrum disorder who have cochlear implants.

Objective: To quantify progress after cochlear implantation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Study Design: Retrospective review of speech and language and speech perception test scores of children with autism who have received a cochlear implant at our center.

Setting: University of Michigan Medical Center, Cochlear Implant Program.