Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T23:55:12.991Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Communication That Leads to Successful Social Inclusion For Children With Hearing Loss: Are Excellent Speech and Language Skills Sufficient?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2021

Anne Fulcher ,
Amber Sargeant ,
Marc de Rosnay ,
Tracy Hopkins ,
Katie Neal  and
Aleisha Davis
Anne Fulcher*
Affiliation:
The Shepherd Centre, Australia
Amber Sargeant
Affiliation:
University of Wollongong, Australia
Marc de Rosnay
Affiliation:
University of Wollongong, Australia
Tracy Hopkins
Affiliation:
The Shepherd Centre, Australia
Katie Neal
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Aleisha Davis
Affiliation:
The Shepherd Centre, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: anne.fulcher@shepherdcentre.org.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Many children with hearing loss have atypical social communication skills despite having age-appropriate speech and language. Graduate assessments in an early intervention program for children with hearing loss indicated that despite achieving language skills within typical limits for over a decade, social skills development was frequently delayed. Data gathered in 2007 and 2012 indicated the majority of children with hearing loss demonstrated poor acquisition of concepts linked to theory of mind (ToM), achieving either delayed or alternative acquisition patterns. A small-group 8-week social skills intervention program was subsequently implemented for graduating cohorts with the aim of developing and improving social interactions. In 2017, measures of ToM were collected for 15 children with hearing loss aged 4–6 years and compared to ToM 2007 and 2012 cohort data. An additional measure of social understanding and flexibility, a persuasion task, was also implemented. Although ToM skills for the majority of the 2017 cohort were found to be on par with hearing peers, and were better than skills demonstrated by the 2007 and 2012 graduates, ability to successfully participate in a socially significant persuasion task with a peer was delayed. Challenges and solutions to the development of age-appropriate social skills are proposed.

Keywords

hearing lossinclusionpragmatic social skillsearly interventiontheory of mind
Type
Original Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , December 2021 , pp. 108 - 121
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

†

This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Michael Arthur-Kelly.

References

Brock, L. L., Kim, H., Kelly, C. L., Mashburn, A. J., & Grissmer, D. W. (2019). Theory of mind, directly and indirectly, facilitates kindergarten adjustment via verbal ability, executive function, and emotion knowledge. Psychology in the Schools, 56, 176–193. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22216 Google Scholar
Burgess, P. W. (1997). Theory and methodology in executive function research. In Rabbitt, P. (Ed.), Methodology of frontal and executive function (pp. 81–116). London, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Center on the Developing Child. (2007). InBrief: The science of early childhood development. Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu Google Scholar
Center on the Developing Child. (2020). What is executive function? And how does it relate to child development? [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/guide/a-guide-to-executive-function/ Google Scholar
Ching, T. Y. C., Dillon, H., Leigh, G., & Cupples, L. (2018). Learning from the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children With Hearing Impairment (LOCHI) study: Summary of 5-year findings and implications. International Journal of Audiology, 57(Suppl. 2): S105–S111. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2017.1385865 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Conte, E., Ornaghi, V., Grazzani, I., Pepe, A., & Cavioni, V. (2019). Emotion knowledge, theory of mind, and language in young children: Testing a comprehensive conceptual model. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02144 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cowan, T., Le, T. P., & Cohen, A. S. (2019). Social cognition and schizotypy. In Lewandowski, K. E. & Moustafa, A. A. (Eds.), Social cognition in psychosis (pp. 71–88). London, UK: Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815315-4.00003-3 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Rosnay, M., & Hughes, C. (2006). Conversation and theory of mind: Do children talk their way to socio-cognitive understanding? British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 24, 7–37. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005X82901 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Rosnay, M., Pons, F., Harris, P. L., & Morrell, J. M. B. (2004). A lag between understanding false belief and emotion attribution in young children: Relationships with linguistic ability and mothers’ mental-state language. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 22, 197–218. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151004323044573 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dettman, S. J., Dowell, R. C., Choo, D., Arnott, W., Abrahams, Y., Davis, A., … Briggs, R. J. (2016). Long-term communication outcomes for children receiving cochlear implants younger than 12 months: A multicenter study. Otology & Neurotology, 37 , e82–e95. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000000915 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diamond, A., & Ling, D. S. (2016). Conclusions about interventions, programs, and approaches for improving executive functions that appear justified and those that, despite much hype, do not. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 18, 34–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2015.11.005 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fink, E., Begeer, S., Hunt, C., & de Rosnay, M. (2014). False-belief understanding and social preference over the first 2 years of school: A longitudinal study. Child Development, 85, 2389–2403. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12302 Google ScholarPubMed
Fink, E., Begeer, S., Peterson, C. C., Slaughter, V., & de Rosnay, M. (2015). Friendlessness and theory of mind: A prospective longitudinal study. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 33, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12060 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flexer, C. (2011). Cochlear implants and neuroplasticity: Linking auditory exposure and practice. Cochlear Implants International, 12(Suppl. 1), S19–S21. https://doi.org/10.1179/146701011X13001035752255 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foppolo, F., Guasti, M. T., & Chierchia, G. (2012). Scalar implicatures in child language: Give children a chance. Language Learning and Development, 8, 365–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/15475441.2011.626386 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glick, H., & Sharma, A . (2017). Cross-modal plasticity in developmental and age-related hearing loss: Clinical implications. Hearing Research, 343, 191–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2016.08.012 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gopnik, A., & Rosati, A. (2001). Duck or rabbit? Reversing ambiguous figures and understanding ambiguous representations. Developmental Science, 4, 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7687.00163 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grazzani, I., Ornaghi, V., Agliati, A., Brazzelli, E., & Lucarelli, M. (2019). Enhancing mental state language and emotion understanding of toddlers’ social cognition: The role of narrative and conversation. In Veneziano, E. & Nicolopoulou, A. (Eds.), Narrative, literacy and other skills: Studies in intervention (pp. 109–127). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/sin.25.06gra Google Scholar
Guerzoni, L., Murri, A., Fabrizi, E., Nicastri, M., Mancini, P., & Cuda, D. (2016). Social conversational skills development in early implanted children. The Laryngoscope, 126, 2098–2105. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.25809 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hall, M. L., Eigsti, I.-M., Bortfeld, H., & Lillo-Martin, D. (2018). Executive function in deaf children: Auditory access and language access. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 61, 1970–1988. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_JSLHR-L-17-0281 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hughes, C., & Leekam, S. (2004). What are the links between theory of mind and social relations? Review, reflections and new directions for studies of typical and atypical development. Social Development, 13, 590–619. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2004.00285.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Imuta, K., Henry, J. D., Slaughter, V., Selcuk, B., & Ruffman, T. (2016). Theory of mind and prosocial behavior in childhood: A meta-analytic review. Developmental Psychology, 52, 1192–1205. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000140 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Inspiring Quotes. (2014). Dean Rusk quotes and sayings. Retrieved from https://www.inspiringquotes.us/author/1639-dean-rusk Google Scholar
Joint Committee on Infant Hearing. (2007). Year 2007 position statement: Principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Pediatrics, 120, 898–921. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-2333 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knudsen, E. I. (2004). Sensitive periods in the development of the brain and behavior. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16, 1412–1425. https://doi.org/10.1162/0898929042304796 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kronenberger, W. G. (2019). Executive functioning and language development in children with cochlear implants. Cochlear Implants International, 20(Suppl. 1): 2–5.Google ScholarPubMed
Kushalnagar, P., Mathur, G., Moreland, C. J., Napoli, D. J., Ostering, W., Padden, C., & Rathmann, C. (2010). Infants and children with hearing loss need early language access. The Journal of Clinical Ethics, 21, 143–154.Google ScholarPubMed
Meristo, M., Falkman, K. W., Hjelmquist, E., Tedoldi, M., Surian, L., & Siegal, M. (2007). Language access and theory of mind reasoning: Evidence from deaf children in bilingual and oralists environments. Developmental Psychology, 43, 1156–1169. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.5.1156 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milligan, K., Astington, J. W., & Dack, L. A. (2007). Language and theory of mind: Meta-analysis of the relation between language ability and false-belief understanding. Child Development, 78, 622–646. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01018.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitchell, R. E., & Karchmer, M. A. (2004). Chasing the mythical ten percent: Parental hearing status of deaf and hard of hearing students in the United States. Sign Language Studies, 4, 138–163. https://doi.org/10.1353/sls.2004.0005 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moeller, M. P., Tomblin, J. B., Yoshinaga-Itano, C., Connor, C. M., & Jerger, S. (2007). Current state of knowledge: Language and literacy of children with hearing impairment. Ear and Hearing, 28, 740–753. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0b013e318157f07f CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, G., Meristo, M., Mann, W., Hjelmquist, E., Surian, L., & Siegal, M. (2014). Mental state language and quality of conversational experience in deaf and hearing children. Cognitive Development, 29, 41–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2013.10.002 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neal, K. M., Hopkins, T. J., Davis, A. C., Lynch, S., Fulcher, A. N., Abrahams, Y., … Hungerford, J. (2017). Is language the best predictor of theory of mind? Manuscript submitted for publication.Google Scholar
Palmer, L. (2007). Common ground awareness, socio-cognitive understanding and social competence in typical and hearing impaired preschool children (Unpublished honours thesis). University of Sydney, Australia. Google Scholar
Peelle, J. E. (2018). Listening effort: How the cognitive consequences of acoustic challenge are reflected in brain and behavior. Ear and Hearing, 39, 204–214. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000494 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perry, B. D. (2001). Bonding and attachment in maltreated children: Consequences of emotional neglect in childhood. Retrieved from https://www.childtrauma.org/abuse-neglect? Google Scholar
Peterson, C. C., O’Reilly, K., & Wellman, H. M. (2016). Deaf and hearing children’s development of theory of mind, peer popularity, and leadership during middle childhood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 149, 146–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.11.008 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peterson, C. C., Slaughter, V., & Wellman, H. M. (2018). Nimble negotiators: How theory of mind (ToM) interconnects with persuasion skills in children with and without ToM delay. Developmental Psychology, 54, 494–509. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000451 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pichora-Fuller, M. K., Kramer, S. E., Eckert, M. A., Edwards, B., Hornsby, B. W. Y., Humes, L. E., … Wingfield, A. (2016). Hearing impairment and cognitive energy: The framework for understanding effortful listening (FUEL). Ear and Hearing, 37, 5S–27S. https://doi.org/10.1097/aud.0000000000000312 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schick, B., De Villiers, P., De Villiers, J., & Hoffmeister, R. (2007). Language and theory of mind: A study of deaf children. Child Development, 78, 376–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01004.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Semel, E., Wiig, E. H., & Secord, W. A. (2004). Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool-2 (CELF Preschool-2). San Antonio, TX: Pearson Assessments.Google Scholar
Singleton, J. L., & Tittle, M. D. (2000). Deaf parents and their hearing children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 5, 221–236. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/5.3.221 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Slaughter, V., Peterson., C. C., & Moore, C. (2013). I can talk you into it: Theory of mind and persuasion behavior in young children. Developmental Psychology, 49, 227–231. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028280 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spinelli, M., Fasolo, M., Shah, P. E., Genovese, G., & Aureli, T. (2018). The influence of early temperament on language development: The moderating role of maternal input. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01527 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weinstein, E. A., & Beckhouse, L. S. (1969). Audience and personality factors in presentation of self. The Sociological Quarterly, 10, 527–537. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1969.tb01312.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wellman, H. M., & Liu, D. (2004). Scaling of theory-of-mind tasks. Child Development, 75, 523–541. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00691.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wingfield, A., & Peelle, J. E. (2015). The effects of hearing loss on neural processing and plasticity. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 9, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2015.00035 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolfe, J. (2019). Cochlear implants: Audiologic management and considerations for implantable hearing devices. San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.Google Scholar
Yoshinaga-Itano, C., Sedey, A. L., Mason, C. A., Wiggin, M., & Chung, W. (2020). Early intervention, parent talk, and pragmatic language in children with hearing loss. Pediatrics, 146(Suppl. 3), S270–S277. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0242F CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zimmerman, I. L., Steiner, V. G., & Pond, R. E. (2002). Preschool Language Scales – Fourth Edition. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Fulcher et al. supplementary material

Fulcher et al. supplementary material

Download Fulcher et al. supplementary material(File)
File 26.9 KB