The Use of Microcomputer Technology in Assessing and Training Communication Skills of Young Hearing-Impaired Children

A prototype interactive computer-controlled audiovisual system has been developed for investigating a variety of auditory-visual discrimination and training tasks with young children, including preschool-age hearing-impaired children. Currently the system is being used in the investigation of teaching simple reading tasks and assessing bimodal (auditory-speech reading) interactions/interferences with preschool-age severely hearing-impaired children. However, the capabilities of the system exceed the parameters of current investigations. The system has the capability of activating and presenting computer-generated symbols (textual or graphic), video images (still or motion), and auditory (video-audio track, audio cassette, and speech digitizer) stimuli independently or in simultaneous combination. The subject interactive response system requires a simple pointing response for subjects too young to effect keyboard input. The system is capable of immediate data analysis of subject responses to assessment and training tasks and can provide hard-copy printout. Data can also be stored on floppy disk for later retrieval and analysis.