Phonological patterns in the conversational speech of children with cochlear implants

In this descriptive, longitudinal study, phonological patterns (i.e., natural phonological processes) were examined in a set of conversational speech samples obtained from six young children fitted with cochlear implants. Both developmental and non-developmental patterns were observed. This is consistent with findings from previous studies of the speech of children with hearing loss who wear hearing aids. Several of the patterns found were also the same as those reported in previous studies of children with cochlear implants. One developmental pattern and two non-developmental patterns were significantly correlated with age demonstrating a decrease over time. Trends were evident in several other patterns suggesting possible directions for future investigations.Learning outcomesThe reader will be able to (1) differentiate developmental from non-developmental phonological patterns, (2) identify the patterns that can be seen in the speech of children fitted with cochlear implants, and (3) understand the direction of pattern occurrence over time in this population.