Examination of communication and language skills of a child using Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI): Case study

The aim of this research is to examine the communication and language skills of a child using an auditory brainstem implant (ABI) in their natural environment. The participants of this research, which was designed as a case study; A fifth-grade girl using ABI, her parents and teachers. Research data; collected through semi-participant observations, interviews, products, documents, and researcher's diary. The collected data were analyzed descriptively and inductively when necessary during the research process and at the end. The findings of the study showed that the child using ABI could understand speech and communicate by speaking. On the other hand, it was found that the oral language skills of the focus child lag behind the language skills of his hearing peers, and his parents and teachers made some practices to support the language skills of the focus child. It has been observed that the disruptions in the focus child's communication cycles are caused by the focus child's speech intelligibility and the inability to understand the content, and various strategies are used to repair these disruptions. In addition, it was found that the academic life of the school-age focus child was also affected by language and communication skills. It is thought that this qualitative study examining the language and communication skills of a child using ABI will contribute to the literature, provide a perspective to the families and teachers of children who are ABI candidates or use ABI, and offer suggestions to support the language and communication skills of a child using ABI.