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Sensitive periods and language in cochlear implant users*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

IGNACIO MORENO-TORRES ,
SONIA MADRID-CÁNOVAS  and
GEMA BLANCO-MONTAÑEZ
IGNACIO MORENO-TORRES*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga
SONIA MADRID-CÁNOVAS
Affiliation:
Universidad de Murcia
GEMA BLANCO-MONTAÑEZ
Affiliation:
Universidad San Pablo Andalucía CEU
*
Address for correspondence: Ignacio Moreno-Torres, Universidad de Málaga – Filología Española II y Teoría de la Literatura, Campus de Teatinos s/n Málaga 29018, Spain. e-mail: imoreno@uma.es
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Abstract

This study explores the hypothesis that the existence of a short sensitive period for lower-level speech perception/articulation skills, and a long one for higher-level language skills, may partly explain the language outcomes of children with cochlear implants (CIs). The participants were fourteen children fitted with a CI before their second birthday. Data about their language skills and the environmental conditions (e.g. Family Involvement in rehabilitation) were obtained over a period of three years. Age at implantation correlated exclusively with the ratio of errors of place of articulation, a phonological feature for which CIs provide insufficient information. The degree of Family Involvement was significantly correlated with the remaining language measures. We conclude that small plasticity reductions affecting lower-level skills may partly explain the difficulties of some CI users in developing language.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 43 , Issue 3: Age Effects in Child Language Acquisition , May 2016 , pp. 479 - 504
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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Footnotes

[*]

This work was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (FFI FFI2012-32101). The authors would like to thank Esther Moruno-López for her help with collecting and analyzing the data. We are most grateful to the children and the families who participated in this study.

References

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