Study | Research Studies | School of Medicine

SPOT Study: The Impact of Auditory Access on the Development of Speech Perception

To study how infants’ ability to differentiate speech sounds develops and how this ability affects other measures of auditory development.

Why this Research Matters

The goal of our research is to improve services for children who are at risk for language learning (i.e., hearing loss, reading difficulties). We do this by measuring how infants tell the difference between speech sounds. A child’s ability to differentiate between speech sounds predicts their later language abilities. So being able to measure these abilities early in life may over time help improve later language outcomes. Language learning can help build relationships, impact educational success, and personal empowerment.

What to Expect

Methods used for research are VERY similar to hearing tests routinely completed in hospitals and clinics. Non-invasive, sticky surface electrodes are placed on your child’s head and sounds are played over a speaker. This allows us to see their brain waves in response to these different sounds.

Study Duration

One to five in-person visits between 3 and 12 months of age on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, a nearby Children’s Hospital Colorado Audiology Clinic, or the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. Visits are 2-3 hours in length and about 1 hour is completed with your baby sleeping or resting quietly. Time: The study will occur at 1-5 timepoints between 3 and 12 months of age *additional visits may be asked

Who can Participate

• Infants between 1 and 12 months of age
• Infants diagnosed with permanent bilateral hearing loss and use hearing aids
• English as the primary language spoken at home