Working memory and speech production in a 5-year-old child with cochlear implants : a case study

This case study describes the speech production and working memory performance of H, a prelingually deaf female who received her first cochlear implant at 11 months of age, and her second at 2 years of age. Her speech and memory were tested at one time point. H's chronological age at the time of testing was 5 years, 3 months. Data obtained from this study are discussed within the context of the literature that describes speech development and working memory capacities in typically developing and implanted children. Included is a review of speech production, speech perception and working memory processes in both children with normal hearing and children with cochlear implants. Results of analyses indicate that H demonstrated speech production patterns consistent with children with normal hearing. However, a disassociation between speech production performance and working memory capacity was found.