Research Symposium

BIO

Leslie Abbott is an undergraduate student at Florida State University majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minoring in Child Development. She is an Honors in the Major student interested in researching aural rehabilitative communication modalities. She intends to go to graduate school to get her master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. Her research interests include speech sound disorders eligibility, pediatric cochlear implantation, and motor speech disorders. She is obtaining an Interdepartmental Developmental Disabilities Certificate by achieving student teaching experience at a local Leon County Elementary School.

Patterns and Contributing Factors of Perceptions on Total Communication for Children with Cochlear Implants

Abstract

Congenital hearing loss affects about two to three out of every thousand newborns (Renauld, 2021). When such children do not show adequate benefit from hearing aids during a trial period, cochlear implantation may become an option. After cochlear implantation, aural rehabilitation is essential so the child can maximize the implant’s potential and train their brain to recognize and understand sounds, as they would have had little-to-no experience with sound previously. Whether this rehabilitation should be coupled with the use of sign language has been largely controversial.

In this study, I will be examining how students aspiring to become speech or hearing professionals perceive Total Communication (TC) and what factors may influence those perspectives. Since these future professionals will be working closely with families who have Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children, it is important to assess their attitudes and beliefs about TC as a communication approach for DHH children who receive cochlear implants.

Keywords: Cochlear Implants, Aural Rehabilitation, Total Communication