Language and Reading Outcomes in Fourth-Grade Children With Mild Hearing Loss Compared to Age-Matched Hearing Peers

Abstract

Purpose There is ambiguity in the clinical and research communities regarding whether children with mild bilateral hearing loss (MBHL) are at risk for delays. The goal of the current article is to expand the evidence base surrounding outcomes for the current generation of children with MBHL. Method Using independent-samples t tests, we compared children with MBHL to same-age peers with normal hearing (NH) on measures of vocabulary, morphological awareness, listening comprehension, and reading. We completed regression analyses to explore the foundational linguistic skills that influenced reading abilities in both groups. For the children with MBHL, we examined whether hearing aid (HA) dosage was associated with individual differences in language scores. Results Group comparisons indicated that children with NH significantly outperformed children with MBHL on tests of morphological awareness and listening comprehension. There were no differences in vocabulary size or reading achievement; however, children with MBHL displayed significant differences in the factors that accounted for variability in reading scores compared to children with NH. HA dosage was significantly associated with variation in listening comprehension scores, but not vocabulary, reading, or morphological awareness. Conclusions The current results provide evidence that children with MBHL are at risk for persistent language deficits by 4th grade, particularly in aspects of language that involve form. Reading skills in children with MBHL appear to be commensurate with same-age hearing peers. Consistent use of well-fit HAs supports listening comprehension, although the amount of benefit from HAs may be reduced for children with higher unaided hearing levels.

The impact of mild-to-severe hearing loss on the neural dynamics serving verbal working memory processing in children

“…Despite the improvements in early identification and intervention, some children with hearing loss (CHL) still lag behind children with normal hearing (CNH) in language ( McCreery et al, 2015 , Moeller et al, 2007 , Tomblin et al, 2015 , Tomblin et al, 2014 , Walker et al, 2020 ), cognitive ( Caudle et al, 2014 , Dye and Hauser, 2014 , Nittrouer et al, 2017 , Nittrouer et al, 2013 ), academic ( Khairi Md Daud et al, 2010 , Kouwenberg et al, 2012 , Theunissen et al, 2015 ), and psychosocial ( Dirks et al, 2017 , Netten et al, 2015a , Netten et al, 2015b , Theunissen et al, 2012 , Theunissen et al, 2014a , Theunissen et al, 2011 , Theunissen et al, 2015 , Walker et al, 2017 ) outcomes. It is important to note that these deficits are not universal; in fact, there is a considerable amount of variability in academic and language outcomes in CHL.…”

Longitudinal Speech Recognition in Noise in Children: Effects of Hearing Status and Vocabulary

“…To better understand the impact of auditory access on listening in noise, we propose to conceptualize the auditory experience of CHH as a combination of unaided hearing, aided SII, and amount of HA use (Walker et al, accepted). Our past studies showed that CHH demonstrate large individual differences in aided audibility (McCreery et al, 2013) and amount of HA use (Walker et al, 2013) over time.…”

Evidence-Based Practices and Outcomes for Children with Mild and Unilateral Hearing Loss

“…Although the authors tested different groups of children and used diverse assessments, these three articles share a common theme: Children with mild or unilateral hearing loss may struggle with higher level language comprehension and aspects of language form (i.e., morphology and phonological memory) compared to their hearing peers. Walker et al (2020) establish that children with mild bilateral hearing loss are vulnerable in morphosyntax and language comprehension relative to age-matched hearing peers. These findings are of particular importance to speechlanguage pathologists who may be assessing and providing intervention in the schools.…”