Identification of Effective Strategies to Promote Language in Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants

Parental involvement and communication are essential for language development in young children. However, hearing parents of deaf children face challenges in providing language input to their children. This study utilized the largest national sample of deaf children receiving cochlear implants, with the aim of identifying effective facilitative language techniques. Ninety‐three deaf children (≤ 2 years) were assessed at 6 implant centers prior to and for 3 years following implantation. All parent–child interactions were videotaped, transcribed, and coded at each assessment. Analyses using bivariate latent difference score modeling indicated that higher versus lower level strategies predicted growth in expressive language and word types predicted growth in receptive language over time. These effective, higher level strategies could be used in early intervention programs.     

广枣提取液对小鼠免疫功能和运动耐力的影响

观察了广枣提取液对小鼠免疫功能、运动耐力的影响。结果表明：广枣提取液可明显增加小鼠耐缺氧时间，延长小鼠负重游泳时间，降低运动后小鼠血乳酸水平，显著提高其心肌组织中SOD活力；同时明显增加小鼠脾脏／体重、胸腺／体重比值，增强小鼠对巨噬细胞的吞噬能力．提高小鼠的细胞免疫、体液免疫功能。提示广枣提取液具有显著促进小鼠免疫功能及显著提高小鼠运动耐力的功效。     

Literacy skills in children with cochlear implants: the importance of early oral language and joint storybook reading

The goal of this study was to longitudinally examine relationships between early factors (child and mother) that may influence children's phonological awareness and reading skills 3 years later in a group of young children with cochlear implants (N = 16). Mothers and children were videotaped during two storybook interactions, and children's oral language skills were assessed using the "Reynell Developmental Language Scales, third edition." Three years later, phonological awareness, reading skills, and language skills were assessed using the "Phonological Awareness Test," the "Woodcock-Johnson-III Diagnostic Reading Battery," and the "Oral Written Language Scales." Variables included in the data analyses were child (age, age at implant, and language skills) and mother factors (facilitative language techniques) and children's phonological awareness and reading standard scores. Results indicate that children's early expressive oral language skills and mothers' use of a higher level facilitative language technique (open-ended question) during storybook reading, although related, each contributed uniquely to children's literacy skills. Individual analyses revealed that the children with expressive standard scores below 70 at Time 1 also performed below average (<85) on phonological awareness and total reading tasks 3 years later. Guidelines for professionals are provided to support literacy skills in young children with cochlear implants.