Listening and Speaking Ability of Thai Deaf Children in Preschool Aural Rehabilitation Program
Krisna Lertsukprasert MA*, Nittaya Kasemkosin MA*, Wichit Cheewareungroj MD*, Lalida Kasemsuwan MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Background : An auditory-oral approach can help deaf children achieve success in oral communication. Many studies
confirm that deaf children with access to sound through high-powered and appropriate hearing aids at the youngest age
possible have the capability to acquire communication skills similar to their hearing peers.
Objective : Evaluate the listening and speaking progress made by 27 Thai hearing-impaired children who attended a
preschool aural rehabilitation program, which was established at Audiology and Speech clinic. After hearing aids fitting, deaf
children were enrolled to the preschool aural rehabilitation program after receiving their parents consent.
Material and Method: Hearing impaired children were divided into groups of 4-6 children with approximately the same level
of performance. The listening and speaking performance at the initial period were recorded. Each group participated in the
3-hour-program once a week, included auditory training, conversation (maternal reflexive method), and speech stimulation.
The improvements and problems of each child were recorded at the end of session. Listening and speaking performance
evaluation were recorded at six months intervals.
Results : There were 12 boys and 15 girls. The average hearing loss in the better ear was 104 dBHL, range from 83-117
dBHL, SD = 8.33. The mean age of enrollment was 2 years and 10 months. The majority gradually developed listening skills
and speaking ability. There was no relationship between age of enrollment and the listening and speaking ability (p > 0.05).
However, listening skills had positive relationship with length of speech (r = 0.685), number of spoken vocabulary (r =
0.665), and speech character (r = 0.598); p < 0.01.
Conclusion : Auditory training is an important task to develop listening skills and improve length of speech, speaking
vocabulary, and speech character. Other benefits from the aural rehabilitation program included monitoring the auditory
progression after hearing aid fitting, parents meeting, and promotion a better quality of life by enabling hearing impaired
children to participate in hearing society.
Keywords : Preschool aural rehabilitation program, Hearing-impaired children, Listening and speaking ability
