Vocal Turn-taking between Mothers and Their Toddlers with Cochlear Implants

Objectives: This study attempted to identify the quantitative characteristics that appear in vocal turn-taking between mothers and toddlers with cochlear implants (CIs) and to examine the relationships between variables of vocal turn-taking and the language development of the CI and typical hearing (TH) group. Methods: Ten pairs of mothers and toddlers with CIs and 12 pairs of mothers and toddlers with TH participated in this study. Their interactions during a 20-minute free-play task were recorded using a digital recorder. Their vocalizations were coded for vocalization, switching pause, turn-taking block, and overlap using the Praat program. Results: Toddlers with TH took more vocal turns with their mothers than did toddlers with CIs. Toddlers with TH produced significantly more vocalizations than toddlers with CIs; however, there was not a significant difference in the frequency of mothers’ vocalizations between the two groups. Mothers in the TH group produced a significantly highter proportion of vocalizations in turn-taking than mothers in the CI group; however, there was not a significant difference in the proportion of toddlers’ vocalizations between the two groups. Language scores were significantly correlated with the frequency of vocal turn-taking, toddlers’ vocalizations, and mothers’ vocalizations in the CI group. Conclusion: These results suggests that toddlers with CIs are not active partners in vocal turn-taking at an earlier age and that mothers are likely to adjust vocal turn-taking formats to their toddlers with CIs.