Spoken language development in children with cochlear implants exposed to Sign Language
a scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23925/2176-2724.2025v37i3e71887Keywords:
Deafness, Cochlear Implantation, Sign language, ChildAbstract
Introduction: Following a diagnosis of deafness, professionals involved in early intervention must inform families about all habilitation options. For this, it is essential that they are familiar with scientific evidence. Objective: To map the scientific evidence available in the literature regarding the acquisition and development of spoken language in children with cochlear implants (CIs) who are exposed to Sign Language (SL). Methods: This is a scoping review. The databases Embase, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ASHA were consulted. For gray literature, searches were conducted in Google Scholar and ProQuest. Studies that assessed spoken language development in children with CIs exposed to SL were included. Results: Seven studies were included in this review. Sample sizes ranged from 1 to 181 participants. Discussion: The studies included in this review showed mixed results. Some studies report advantages, while others point to disadvantages in the development of various aspects of spoken language in children with CIs who are exposed to SL. Deaf children present diverse and comprehensive characteristics that will directly influence skill development. The findings should be interpreted with caution, considering the methodological limitations observed in the studies, such as small sample sizes and the predominance of observational designs and case studies. Conclusion: Based on the evidence found, it is not possible to definitively state whether exposure to SL represents an advantage or disadvantage in the development of spoken language in children with CIs. The available studies are limited in terms of sample size and methodological robustness.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Carolina Morais da Costa, Maria Eduarda da Luz Ulbricht, Maria Renata José, Vanessa Luisa Destro Fidêncio
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