Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Background: This study aimed to compare speech intelligibility and articulation-phonological skills of children with congenital severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss who received cochlear implantation at one of three implantation-age ranges (12–17, 18–23, and 24–29 months) with those of age-matched peers with typical hearing. Methods: The study included 45 children (32 males and 13 females) who received cochlear implants at 12–17, 18–23, or 24–29 months and were 5–7 years old at data collection. Each implantation-age subgroup consisted of n = 15 children. A control group of 15 children (7 males and 8 females) with typical hearing, aged 5–7, was also included. The Turkish Articulation and Phonology Test (SST) were used to assess articulation and phonological skills. The Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) was used to assess speech intelligibility. Results: Children implanted at 12–17 months demonstrated significantly more advanced articulation and phonological skills compared with those implanted at later ages. Nonetheless, even early-implanted children did not attain articulation, phonological skills or speech intelligibility levels observed in age-matched peers with typical hearing. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of early cochlear implantation during infancy. While early implantation is associated with improved speech outcomes, children with cochlear implants may continue to exhibit speech sound disorders affecting their articulation, phonological skills, and intelligibility. This suggests a need for ongoing, speech-focused intervention, in addition to general language support, with continuous monitoring and active family involvement.