Social skills and developmental delay: importance in predicting the auditory and speech outcomes after cochlear implantation in children.

Conclusion: Preoperative evaluation of social interaction and global development levels using the Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) and Bayley Scales of Infant Development-2nd edition (BSID-II) may be beneficial in predicting the postoperative outcome in pediatric cochlear implant recipients. In particular, cautious preoperative counseling regarding the poor postoperative prognosis may be necessary in children with low social skills and developmental status.

Objective: To determine the clinical benefit of preoperative evaluation of social interaction and global development levels using VSMS and BSID-II in predicting the postoperative outcome in pediatric cochlear implant recipients.

Patients: A total of 65 deaf children who underwent cochlear implantation (CI) were included in this study. Age at the time of implantation ranged from 12 to 76 months. All of the children underwent a comprehensive preimplant psychological assessment by a clinical psychologist. The VSMS and BSID-II were used for evaluating social skills and a child's development preoperatively. A social quotient (SQ) was calculated by using the VSMS for each subject using the following formula: (social age/chronological age) × 100. The auditory perception and speech production abilities were evaluated using the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) scale and the Korean version of the Ling's stage (K-Ling), respectively, at 1 year after CI. The associations between the preoperative SQ/developmental levels and the postoperative auditory/speech outcomes were evaluated.

Results: The mean SQ was significantly decreased in the enrolled children (90.6 ± 26.1). The improvement in CAP score at 1 year after CI was correlated with preoperative SQ. The improvements in phonemic and phonologic levels of K-Ling were correlated with preoperative VSMS and BSID-II scores.