Young deaf children with hearing aids or cochlear implants: early assessment package for monitoring progress

Background: Very few assessment measures exist for evaluating progress in young deaf children with hearing aids and cochlear implants. Objective: To introduce and describe an early assessment package that covers auditory perception, communication/language development, and speech production in very young deaf children. Main outcome measures: Seven of the assessment measures (Listening Progress Profile, Categories of Auditory Performance, Tait Video Analysis, Stories - Narratives Assessment Procedure, Profile of Actual Linguistic Skills, Speech Intelligibility Rating, and the Profile of Actual Speech Skills) have been specifically developed at the Nottingham Cochlear Implant Programme, and a further one (Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale) was modified for use within the package. Moreover, two commercially available tests (Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills and Pre-school Language Scale) are included to complete the package. Methods: The present paper describes each measure, how to use it, and its time frame. In addition, two case studies demonstrate the usefulness of the package as a whole. Results and conclusions: The Nottingham Early Assessment Package (NEAP) offers a framework with which to assess in young deaf children the use of audition and language and communication in real-life situations. Being simple, reliable, and time effective can be used in everyday clinical practice. NEAP is innovative in design and offers a structured approach to monitor very young deaf children, both in short and long term. In addition, it allows the identification of additional problems and areas of difficulty as well as specific abilities and skills. This enables the clinician to determine appropriate intervention strategies. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.