Cognitive Functioning of Hearing Impaired and Normally Hearing Children Studying in Integrated Settings

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to investigate (i) the degree of hearing impairment as a determinant of the cognitive functioning of hearing impaired children as compared to normally hearing children studying in integrated settings, and (ii) age as a determinant of the cognitive functioning of hearing impaired children with different degrees of hearing impairment as compared to normally hearing children studying in integrated settings. A sample of 105 hearing impaired children years, 35 each from mild category, moderately severe category and profound category under age groups 6-7 years, 8-10 years and 11-12 years was selected randomly. Besides these, a sample of 35 normally hearing children under age groups 6-7 years, 8-10 years and 11-12 years was also selected as control group randomly. The nonverbal conservation concept development test consisting of three subtests one each on conservation of mass, weight and volume was used to collect data. The Z statistics revealed that i) the cognitive functioning of mild hearing and moderately severe hearing impaired children studying in integrated settings was similar to the cognitive functioning of normally hearing children at all ages ranging from 6 to 12 years and ii) the cognitive functioning of profound hearing impaired children studying in integrated settings lagged significantly behind the cognitive functioning of normally hearing children at all ages ranging from 6 to 12 years