Abstract
BACKGROUND: Age-appropriate speech development is a primary aim of the rehabilitation of children treated with cochlear implants (CI). Various assessment tools are available, including the speech development test for 2‑year-olds (SETK-2). All tests are normalized to normal-hearing children; additionally, results are evaluated according to age and the duration of CI (hearing age). The present study presents current practices and evaluates them as far as is possible. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a multicentric retrospective study, 375 SETK‑2 datasets of congenitally deaf children treated with CI from five centers were included. All children had been treated before the fourth year of life, and the interval between treatment of the two sides was less than 12 months. RESULTS: In the analyses according to age and hearing age, all subtests in the observed groups, with the exception of word comprehension, showed significantly worse results than the normative values. Isolated results demonstrated results similar to or even better than the normative values. The more complex the tested performance, the higher the proportion of conspicuous test results. The timepoint of implantation had no significant influence on test performance. CONCLUSION: The SETK‑2 should be evaluated according to chronological age; otherwise, the progress of early speech development may be incorrectly assessed and interventions initiated too late. Moreover, evaluation according to hearing age disregards the child's cognitive skills.