Auditory Experience against Discontinuity Theory: Review Evidences from Hard-of-Hearing Children

The “Discontinuity Theory” argues for dissociation between infant vocalizations and mature-adult speech. There is a plethora of research data mentioning a recorded simultaneous co-existence of multi-syllable types of early vocals, in individuals characterized as atypical. The aim of this literature review is to present data arguing for a strong relation between early developmental stages of speech. Studies from early cochlear implanted infants seem proper providing the necessary justification for the existence of strong developmental links among early linguistic milestones. Results support a gradual transition from babbling stages into mature, more complex forms of vocalization that we meet on adult speech. Early speech development is rapid during the first post-implant year. Auditory experience provided from cochlear implants is a crucial factor linked to a wide variety of improved outcomes. Speech pathology analyzing the way that auditory experience affects speech production can argue against “discontinuity”, since hearing access transforms deaf vocalization.