Outcomes of cochlear implanted children with cerebral palsy: A holistic approach

ObjectiveAnalyze the progress of hearing and language in a group of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who have received cochlear implants (CI) and compare their progress in the clinical and functional domains.MethodsThis is a prospective transdisciplinary study developed within a tertiary referral center, with a group of nine cochlear-implanted children with CP, two- to seven-year-old. The assessments undertaken included audiological, language, and communication assessments complemented by the assessment of functional abilities and the level of independence as evaluated by the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).ResultsThe outcomes varied, as two children achieved hearing comprehension in open-set evaluations. These children presented the same type of CP, athetosis, but with different functional skills and GMFCS levels. Only one of the subjects had any spoken language at the single-word level.ConclusionsA holistic view of change and development is central to understanding progress made in children with CP who received cochlear implants (CI). The functional evaluation of these children with CP is a useful tool for monitoring their progress and measuring their outcomes with CI.