Auditory access, language access, and implicit sequence learning in deaf children

Abstract

Developmental psychology plays a central role in shaping evidence-based best practices for prelingually deaf children. The Auditory Scaffolding Hypothesis (Conway et al., 2009) asserts that a lack of auditory stimulation in deaf children leads to impoverished implicit sequence learning abilities, measured via an artificial grammar learning (AGL) task. However, prior research is confounded by a lack of both auditory and language input. The current study examines implicit learning in deaf children who were (Deaf native signers) or were not (oral cochlear implant users) exposed to language from birth, and in hearing children, using both AGL and Serial Reaction Time (SRT) tasks. Neither deaf nor hearing children across the three groups show evidence of implicit learning on the AGL task, but all three groups show robust implicit learning on the SRT task. These findings argue against the Auditory Scaffolding Hypothesis, and suggest that implicit sequence learning may be resilient to both auditory and language deprivation, within the tested limits.

Conventional Amplification for Children and Adults with Severe-to-Profound Hearing Loss

“…Hall and colleagues 32 measured a sequential learning task designed to reflect executive function in children with normal hearing, children with severeto-profound hearing loss who use cochlear implants, and children with severe-to-profound hearing loss who use sign language. Unlike some previous studies, Hall and colleagues 32 demonstrated that there were no differences between the groups on the sequential learning task, even though the children who were deaf and used sign language had limited auditory experience. These results and others 33 suggest that the deficits in working memory and executive function in children with severe hearing loss may be related to language abilities rather than limited auditory experience.…”

Enhanced gaze‐following behavior in Deaf infants of Deaf parents

“…Cejas et al, 2014;Peterson & Siegal, 2000), DoD children exposed to fluent sign language from birth are reported in several studies to be fully on track for language and social cognition (including theory of mind), especially in studies that use appropriately matched controls (e.g. Hall, Eigsti, Bortfeld, & Lillo-Martin, 2018;Petitto et al, 2016;Schick, de Villiers, de Villiers, & Hoffmeister, 2007). Clearly, deaf individuals are not a homogenous group-and the use of natural sign language by Deaf parents and caregivers offers Deaf infants a visual learning ecology that supports social, cognitive, and linguistic development (Meadow-Orlans et al, 2004).…”

Executive Function in Deaf Children: Auditory Access and Language Access

“…Those families who received hard copies were also given a hard copy of the BRIEF, which they were free to fill out before, during, or after their child's testing session. Children ages 7-12 qualified for an additional testing session for a separate study (Hall, Eigsti, Bortfeld, & Lillo-Martin, 2017b), which was scheduled either concurrently or on a separate occasion, according to parental preference. If parents elected to schedule both sections on the same day, the child had a break between them, and session order was determined randomly.…”