Cila Umat

Background and Aims: Accuracy in speech perception in bilingual children is influenced by two phonological systems. This study compares phonological development in bilingual Urdu–English (UE) children with CIs with their hearing-age-matched peers with normal hearing (NH), by investigating whether bilingualism or any spectral limitations of CI impact perception of UE phonemes. Method and Procedures: Children (n = 57) aged 3; 0–6; 11 years (28 CI, 29 NH) were assessed for speech perception using a custom-designed UE Speech Perception Test (UE-SPT), in quiet and noise (+5 dB SNR). Responses were analysed using confusion matrices, across phonological parameters of place, manner, and voicing to determine error patterns. Outcomes and Results: Significant deficits in CI children were found across all features, with voicing discrimination showing the largest errors (effect sizes d > 6), exacerbated by noise, especially for Urdu aspirated stops. CIs mastered only 8.3% Urdu-aspirated consonants at 6; 11 years compared to 91.7% mastered by NH peers, indicating critical language-specific vulnerabilities. Backing and substitutions errors were particularly seen in CI’s speech, whilst manner was preserved. Conclusion and Implications: UE bilingual phonological complexity compounded by inadequate speech processing abilities in CIs challenges them, underscoring urgent need for targeted speech therapy interventions focusing voicing contrasts and aspirated consonants, as well as environmental accommodations that reduce noise interference and enhance listening through CI, to optimise educational outcomes. This research contributes vital clinical guidance for supporting bilingual children with cochlear implants, addressing both environmental, technological and linguistic challenges.

Objective: This study explores the implementation of accommodations and modifications (A&Ms) for deaf and hard‐of‐hearing (DHH) students in Malaysian schools, addressing the gap between inclusive policy, holistic support, and actual classroom practice. Methods: A mixed‐methods approach was used, combining a cross‐sectional survey ( n = 196) with focus group discussions involving teachers from inclusive education (IE), special education integration programs (SEIP), and special education schools (SES) across four states. Results: Survey results indicated that communication strategies were the most frequently implemented by teachers, with repetition and rephrasing being the most commonly used techniques. While implementation varied across other domains, the findings revealed areas for growth, including the need for enhanced training, more effective integration of hearing technologies, stronger collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and greater utilization of assistive tools. Teachers also expressed the need for increased access to inclusive teaching resources and more intentional classroom adjustments to support listening needs. Discussion/Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of flexible, multimodal communication strategies tailored to individual student needs. Sustainable participation and equitable access for DHH students require the systemic implementation of inclusive design across curriculum, learning environments, technology, assessment and teacher professional development. Guided by universal design for learning (UDL), the ICF‐CY framework and the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025, strengthening inclusive practices depends on enhanced teacher preparation, effective use of assistive technologies and sustained cross‐sector collaboration to translate inclusive policy into meaningful classroom practice.

Hearing parents who lack knowledge regarding hearing loss and medical intervention typically experience disorientation and stress when their child is diagnosed with hearing loss and needs a cochlear implant (CI). This study aims to document recommendations experienced parents may provide to new parents based on their experiences. Sixteen parents of children with CI were interviewed, with the children's chronological age ranging between 26 and 91 months, averaging 11.7 months (standard deviation = 8.0) at the age of deafness diagnosis. Open-ended questions were asked to encourage parents to provide recommendations based on their interventional experiences. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. The study identified four main themes that emerged based on parents' suggestions to parents about to step into the child's CI intervention journey. These themes included (a) acceptance and action, (b) proactively searching for information, (c) help-seeking from others, and (d) being financially prepared. The present qualitative study provides additional evidence to new parents on CI decision-making for their children who need CI. It suggests that new parents may seek guidance from parent-to-parent support groups and fully prepare themselves with essential knowledge and a healthy mentality before initiating their child's CI intervention journey.

The present study aimed to explore the support provided by the parent-to-parent support group (PPSG) to families whose children are cochlear implant (CI) users or candidates during each stage of the intervention procedure. The present study conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the helpfulness and supportiveness of the support provided by experienced parents to parents in the PPSG. Sixteen parents of children with CI and candidates (ages 11-90 months) agreed to participate in this study. After sharing their experiences, parents rated the PPSG's helpfulness and supportiveness on a five-point scale. The study identified three main themes that emerged from parents' experiences who received support from experienced parents in the PPSG throughout their CI intervention journey. These themes included (a) informational - providing informational support to newly diagnosed families; (b) psychological - providing emotional support; and (c) social - forming a sense of belonging to the community. Additionally, each theme generated several sub-themes that focused on the feelings and experiences of parents during their journey through CI intervention. The findings support the PPSG as a helpful and supportive resource for parents whose children are CI users or candidates throughout their intervention journey.

Objectives: Parents of children diagnosed with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss may experience a range of emotions owing to a lack of knowledge and experience in dealing with such children. However, most audiology clinics only attend to children with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) and not their parents. Thus, parents’ emotional and support needs are frequently excluded from the intervention sessions, making their own needs invisible. This study aimed to identify academic and clinical instruments used for assessing parental emotional status (PES) and ecological support systems (ESS) in early intervention and determine the factors affecting PES and ESS among parents of DHH children undergoing cochlear implantation. Materials and methods: This scoping review followed the rigorous methodological framework; searched Medline (via OVID and EMBSCO), Scopus, and Web of Science; and selected studies relevant to validated instruments used to evaluate the PES and ESS among parents of DHH children below 6 years old. Before selecting and reviewing relevant articles, two reviewers independently assessed article titles and abstracts from the data sources. Two reviewers verified half of the first reviewer’s extracted data. Results: Overall, 3060 articles were retrieved from the database search, and 139 were selected for full-text review following title and abstract reviews. Ultimately, this study included 22 articles. Among them, 23 and 12 validated instruments, most of which are generic measures, were used for assessing PES and ESS, respectively. Three condition-specific instruments were identified and designed to be administered following cochlear implantation surgery. Conclusions: This study revealed that healthcare professionals who interact with parents of DHH children lack the necessary instruments, particularly for parents of children undergoing cochlear implantation surgery. Therefore, it is necessary to develop condition-specific instruments for parents who consider cochlear implantation for their children.

The advancement in cochlear implant (CI) technologies and how CIs help their users have far exceeded expectations. Speech perception remains the focus of many studies related to cochlear implant clinical research to ensure the technology maximizes the benefits to be obtained by CI users. This chapter will discuss the perception of non-native sounds among congenitally deaf pediatric CI users, specifically emphasizing Arabic consonants. This language is used and learned by billions of non-native Arabs worldwide. Non-native auditory signals are perceived differently by children with CI due to speech processor signal processing and native language learning effects. This study measured the perceptual learning of uncategorized-dispersed-assimilated Arabic consonants for a group of non-native children with CI using a newly developed, FizBil© bottom-up, customized software training module. The framework and hypothetical pathway will be discussed.

The purpose of the present study was to (1) translate and validate the PEACH + Rating Scale in Malay and (2) establish normative curves as a function of age and examine test-retest reliability for ...