new study finds that deaf children with cochlear implants read well, despite weak speech-sound processing
A recent study published in Scientific Reports is challenging old notions about Deaf children’s reading abilities. According to the study, children with cochlear implants read at or above the average level for their age group, despite struggles with auditory processing. Previously, many scientists and educators assumed that there was a link between reading disorders and deafness. However, this may not be the case.
The children in the study, all of whom had cochlear implants, were given tests measuring their ability to process both spoken and written language. Most of them succeeded, and even excelled, on the reading comprehension section. This raises questions about how important the effect of hearing language is on the development of language and reading skills truly is.