The Correlation between Age at Implant, Consistent Device Use, and Language Outcomes for Children Implanted under 18 Months

Simply offering CIs earlier is not sufficient to improve language outcomes in the congenitally deaf population. Earlier consistent use was associated with better language outcomes for those implanted before 18 months of age, and language scores were higher for children who achieved consistent use within 2 years of implantation. There is a need to understand why children with pre-lingual deafness may not be achieving consistent device use, and by doing so, we would be a step closer to being able to tailor culturally appropriate supports and services that could help more children achieve better outcomes.