Research Article | Open Access
The Impact of Early Intervention on Cognitive Performances of Children with Typical Development and with Hearing Loss: Working Memory and Short Term Memory
Murat Dogan A. Umran Tufekcioglu Nurhan Er
Pages: 70-106
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 SpanBackward 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 quidence 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.