PURPOSE: To compare the speech production of children with profound hearing loss and children with auditory neuropathy/auditory dys-synchrony, both groups with cochlear implants. METHODS: Five children with profound hearing loss and five children with auditory neuropathy/auditory dys-synchrony participated on the study; the groups were matched according to age and time of use of the cochlear implant, and were assessed through a speech sample obtained during picture naming and spontaneous production tasks. RESULTS: Children with auditory neuropathy/auditory dys-synchrony had an average of 59,32% of correct responses on the tasks, against 51,32% for the group of children with profound hearing loss. This difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The cochlear implant was beneficial to the rehabilitation of auditory neuropathy/auditory dys-synchrony, as well as in the rehabilitation of profound hearing loss. Period of sensory deprivation influenced the speech production of both groups.
Hearing; Hearing loss; Cochlear implant; Evaluation; Speech
