Reading Fluency in Children Using Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids: A Standard Group Comparison

Abstract

Fluency is an important reading skill as it provides the critical bridge between word identification and comprehension. Absence of reading fluency has a negative impact on reading success. Various researches have reported that hearing impaired children have poor reading fluency. There is a lack of literature in comparing performance in reading fluency among normal hearing peers, children using hearing aids and children using cochlear implants. The present study aimed to compare the reading fluency among children with normal hearing, hearing aid users and cochlear implantees. Three groups of subjects participated in the study. Group I had 7 children using cochlear implant, Group II had 7children who use hearing aids, and group III had 7 normal hearing children. Results indicated significant difference in reading fluency between normal children and children using hearing aids as well as cochlear implantees. However, no significant difference was seen between hearing aid users and cochlear implantees in reading fluency. It can be concluded that, both children using hearing aids and cochlear implants lack in terms of reading fluency.