Early Identification of Infants with Significant Hearing Loss and the Minnesota Child Development Inventory

T h e general development of 69 infants wi th h e a r i n g i m p a i r m e n t was a n a l y z e d regard ing their age when the hear ing loss was identif ied. Subjects were divided in to four g roups based u p o n age of identification: bir th to 2 months , 3 to 12 months , 13 to 24 months , and subjects identified after 25 m o n t h s . Each category c o n t a i n e d subj e c t s of varying d e g r e e s of h e a r i n g loss. Each ident i f ica t ion ca tegory h a d a m e a n age n e a r 40 m o n t h s a t t i m e of t e s t i n g . Developmental quotients were used in order to compare the results of subjects regardless of their age at the t ime of testing. Subjects were evaluated by their developmental quotient scores on the Minnesota Child Develo p m e n t Inventory (MCDI). Subtests on the MCDI included general development , gross m o t o r , f ine m o t o r , express ive l a n g u a g e , comprehens ion-concep tua l , s i tuat ion-comprehens ion , self-help, a n d personal -socia l (Ireton & Thwing, 1972). Subjects in the earl iest ident i f icat ion ca tegory scored significantly h i g h e r t h a n the o t h e r g roups in genera l deve lopmen t and expressive language. T h e striking performance of the earliest g roup supports the r e t e n t i o n of c u r r e n t ear ly iden t i f i ca t ion practices a n d encourages the implementat ion of un iversa l h e a r i n g s c r e e n i n g p r o grams across the nat ion. H e a l t h o rgan i za t i ons , such as ASHA and the National Institutes of Heal th , have c o n t i n u a l l y r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t h e a r i n g impai rment be identified as close to birth as possible (ASHA, 1989, 1991; NIH Consensus S ta tement , 1993). However, despi te these r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s , the average chi ld with s igni f icant h e a r i n g loss is n o t iden t i f i ed until h e / s h e is 2-1/2 years old (McFarland a n d Simmons, 1980). T h e pu rpose of this study was to compare the general developm e n t of infants w h o were ident i f ied with hear ing loss as early as bir th with those who were no t identified unti l later. Early identif ication maximizes the t ime available for in te rven t ion a n d habi l i ta t ion. T h e ear l ier the h e a r i n g loss is d iagnosed , the soone r hear ing aids can be fitted, and intervention started. T h e greatest benefits of early identification are achieved when in tervent ion is b e g u n shortly after b i r th . It is possible to keep the hearing-impaired child developing wi th in n o r m a l l imits w h e n iden t i f i ca t ion a n d i n t e rven t ion beg in wi th in the first 2 years of life, t he g rea tes t benef i t c o m i n g from the first 2 mon ths of age. Demonstration of the efficacy of early intervent ion is