Screening for Developmental Delays in Pediatric Cochlea Implant Candidates and Recipients.

Objective: Conduct a pilot clinical improvement project to effectively screen children with hearing loss for developmental delays. Children with hearing loss and cochlear implants (CIs) are at risk for additional developmental delays; however, screening to aid in early identification and referral for developmental delays is not routinely performed at CI centers. It is important to consider all aspects of child development to maximize CI outcomes and access to language.

Study design: Caregivers of 31 children completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and the Sensory Profile-2 (SP2), which are standardized questionnaires that assess developmental milestones in areas of communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, personal-social, and sensory integration.

Setting: Participants were prospectively evaluated at a CI center in a tertiary medical center.

Patients: Participants included children, aged ≤5 years old with bilateral hearing loss who use CIs or who were CI candidates, and their families.

Main outcome measures: Scores on ASQ and SP2 questionnaires.

Results: Thirty-one children were screened, and approximately 40 to 50% screened positive for risk of developmental delay in areas excluding communication and received referrals for evaluations in occupational therapy (n = 16; 51.6%), physical therapy (n = 13; 41.9%), and developmental pediatrics (n = 13; 41.9%). Of children referred and seen for evaluations, six were diagnosed with developmental delays in at least one developmental area beyond the communication domains.

Conclusions: Routine screening in children with significant hearing loss can successfully detect developmental delays, which may go unnoticed. This proactive approach enables timely and comprehensive treatment for developmental delays beyond those solely related to communication.