Susie Robertson, M.A., CCC-A, currently in the Ph.D. program at UT in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, presented an HSF-funded research project at the 2010 Southeast Regional Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference July 26 at the UT Conference Center.

Her poster, titled “The Effect of Hearing Loss on Infant Directed Speech,” focuses on the perceptual preference of speech types – infant directed speech (IDS) versus adult directed speech (ADS) – in infants with hearing impairments who wear amplification devices, such as hearing aids.

“The purpose of this study is to better understand the development of speech perception in preverbal infants with hearing loss,” said Robertson. "Infant directed speech, used around the world in different cultures, helps capture babies’ attention and helps them learn words and language. We were curious if that same assumption held true in infants with hearing impairments." IDS is the type of speech adults and caregivers use when talking to infants. Also known as “baby-talk,” it involves using an exaggerated pitch, rhythm, and duration of the speech signal. Research shows that normal-hearing infants typically prefer this type of speech over adult directed speech.

“We expect babies with hearing impairment, who are appropriately amplified, will prefer IDS over ADS, as do normal hearing babies," said Robertson.

At this point in her study, Robertson has tested 41 infants ranging in age from 7 to 36 months. Nine infants have sensorineural hearing loss and 32 infants have normal hearing. She tests infants using the visual habituation procedure, which involves both a perceptual preference experiment and a discrimination experiment. In each experiment, looking time was assessed for IDS and ADS. Preliminary results of the study indicate that some infants with hearing loss prefer IDS over ADS. However, there is not enough information at this time to draw conclusions on their speech type preferences.

“Based on the final results of this study, I plan to form a question for my dissertation that focuses on how infants with hearing impairment begin to understand speech,” said Robertson.

To read the poster and review graphs from the preliminary results, click here.

If you have a hearing-impaired infant age 7 to 30 months and are interested in participating in the study, please contact Susie Robertson. Study participants will receive $50.

Acknowledgements:
Deborah von Hapsburg, Ph.D. - Principal Investigator
Susie Robertson, M.A. - Co-Principal Investigator
Patti M. Johnstone, Ph.D.
Jessica Hayes, Ph.D.
Fadwa Khwaileh, M.A.

This research was supported in part by the Hearing and Speech Foundation and the Fluor Foundation.