Communication development of young children with tracheostomies

Abstract

In this paper, we document the effect of long-term tracheostomies on early communication development. Two strategies are used. Firstly, information is culled from the research literature on infant tracheostomies. It is noted that language acquisition appears remarkably resilient but that little is known yet about preverbal communication of aphonic infants or about their later use of speech during everyday activities. Secondly, general themes from normative studies of early communication development are abstracted and used to organize a case report that illustrates the communication development of an aphonic, neurologically intact infant. It is proposed that it is important to support the flow of communication between caregivers and infants using a variety of temporary means, including the introduction of augmentative conventional expressive systems, until verbal language is possible.

Early Intervention and AAC: What a Difference 30 Years Makes

“…These reports provide substantial support that early AAC intervention enhances a child ' s communication and language development, from single sign and symbol vocabulary increases for children 3 years old and under (e.g., Adamson & Dunbar, 1991;Barton, Sevcik, & Romski, 2006;Bondy & Frost, 1994;L ü ke, 2014;Wright, Kaiser, Reikowsky, & Roberts, 2013) to multi-symbol utterances and grammatical development for the preschoolers (e.g., Binger & Light, 2007;Harris, Skarakis Doyle, & Haff, 1996). Other reports described the children ' s communication skills, including their communicative turns and functions (Light et al, 1985a(Light et al, , 1985b(Light et al, , 1985c, communication initiations (Letto, Bedrosian, & Skarakis-Doyle, 1994;Dicarlo & Banajee, 2000), and parent-child communication interactions (Pennington & McConachie, 1999;Light, Binger, & Kelford Smith, 1994).…”

Language Development of Individuals Who Require Aided Communication: Reflections on State of the Science and Future Research Directions

“…For example, there is some evidence that children who undergo a tracheostomy shortly after birth go on to develop speech and language skills, despite lack of access to speech production (Adamson & Dunbar, 1991;Bohm, Nelson, Driver, & Green, 2010). Language acquisition in this view is something that happens to the child, rather than something a child does (Hockema & Smith, 2009).…”