The Impact of Early Intervention on Cognitive Performances of Children with Typical Development and with Hearing Loss: Working Memory and Short Term Memory

Abstract

One of the problematic issues in childhood temporary memory research seems to be the elusiveness of the factors affecting working memory (WM) and short-term memory (STM) capacities. The purpose of this research was (a) to determine the impact of one year preschool education -a form of early intervention- on WM and STM capacities of children either with typical development or with hearing loss, and (b) to determine the impact of early parent guidance on WM and STM capacities of children with hearing loss. The sample (N = 223) consisted of children with typical development (n = 103) and children with hearing loss (n = 120) from three different educational settings in Eskişehir, Turkey. Measures were Sentence-Digit Span, Task Paper-Folding, and Digit Span-Backward tasks for WM, and Digit Span task for STM capacity. Among children with typical development, one-way MANCOVAs indicated no significant differences between children who had preschool education and those who had not on mean WM and STM tasks scores when age and IQ were controlled. On the side of children with hearing loss, both preschool education and early parent quidance resulted in better WM/STM task performances. Finding of the study clearly indicated that early intervention is a must for cognitive development, at least for WM/STM capacities of children with hearing loss.

Keywords

• Children with hearing loss, cognitive processes, early intervention, early parent guidence, preschool education, working memory

Normal Gelişim Gösteren ve İşitme Kayıplı Çocuklarda Erken Müdahalenin Bilişsel Performanstaki Rolü: Çalışma Belleği ve Kısa Süreli Bellek

Öz

Çocuklukta geçici bellek konusunun önemli bir sorunu çalışma belleği (ÇB) ve kısa süreli bellek (KSB) süreçlerini etkileyen faktörlerin tam olarak bilinmemesidir. Bu doğrultuda araştırmanın amacı, bir erken müdahale biçimi olarak erken eğitimin (okul öncesi eğitim ve erken aile eğitimi) normal gelişim gösteren ve işitme kayıplı çocuklarda merkezi bilişsel süreçlerden ÇB ve KSB kapasitelerinin gelişiminde bir etkisi olup olmadığını saptamaktır. Katılımcıların (N = 223) 103'ü normal gelişim gösteren, 120'si işitme kayıplı çocuklardan oluşmaktadır. ÇB ölçümü olarak Cümle-Sayı Uzamı, Kağıt Katlama ve Ters Sayı Dizisi görevleri, KSB ölçümü olarak Sayı Dizisi görevi kullanılmıştır. Yaş ve zekanın kontrol edildiği çok-değişkenli varyans analizi (MANCOVA), okul öncesi eğitim almanın normal gelişim gösteren çocukların ÇB ve KSB kapasitesinde bir fark yaratmadığını; ancak hem okul öncesi eğitim hem erken aile eğitimin işitme kayıplı çocukların ÇB ve KSB kapasitelerinde anlamlı bir artışa yol açtığını göstermiştir. Bulgular, işitme kayıplı çocukların bilişsel gelişimi, en azından ÇB ve KSB performansındaki gelişim için erken müdahalenin gerekliliğini ortaya koymuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Aile eğitimi, bilişsel süreçler, çalışma belleği, erken müdahale, işitme kayıplı çocuklar, okul öncesi eğitim

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