Improvement of the video analysis method for the evaluation of communication skills in deaf children with complex needs

Several papers report important benefits from cochlear implants for deaf children with complex needs but these improvements are difficult to assess with standard tests. The communication strategies of deaf children with complex needs are comparable to those of very young children without comorbidities because both are in a preverbal stage of communication. For this reason we propose a new use of video analysis in deaf children with associated disabilities. The set-up of the recording is the same as the standard method and 20 communication turns are evaluated. The adult stays in front of the child at eye level (especially if a child has a visual impairment). The abilities and progress of the children are evaluated in the standard four areas: turn-taking, autonomy, awareness and eye contact. Non-verbal behaviours are examined. When it is possible to evaluate the category of the eye contact, the most important parameter to take is the adequacy of the use of this ability. For deaf children with complex needs, it is very important to add to the standard parameters the analysis of the maternal communicative style. In conclusion, video analysis can be a useful tool of evaluation when dealing with deaf children with associated disabilities even if not applied in its standard form.