Planning Difficulties in Children and Adolescents with Hearing Loss across Development
- 1Institute of Physiology I. University of Muenster. Robert- Koch-St 27a, 48149, Muenster, Germany.
Abstract
Children and adolescents with hearing loss frequently encounter reduced auditory access and delayed language development, factors that may influence the maturation of executive functions. This study examined developmental differences in planning, a core executive function, in 98 children and adolescents with hearing loss or normal hearing aged 7-18 years using the Tower of London task. Compared to normal hearing peers, participants with hearing loss made more unnecessary moves and rule violations and initiated problem-solving more rapidly, suggesting reduced preplanning efficiency and increased impulsivity. These group differences were most pronounced in adolescents, who showed faster initiation and greater movement inefficiency than age-matched normal hearing participants. Within the hearing loss group, adolescents displayed higher accuracy and longer initiation times than children, reflecting developmental improvements despite persistent gaps relative to hearing peers. Language development age did not alter the main effects. Findings indicate that reduced early auditory and language access may contribute to differences in planning development, highlighting the need for targeted executive functions support in educational and clinical settings for youth with hearing loss.
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BibTeX
@misc{monteseirin2026planning,
title = {{Planning Difficulties in Children and Adolescents with Hearing Loss across Development}},
author = {K. Monteseirin and M. Mendez-Couz and M. A. Rivas-Fernandez and N. M. Conejo},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.26.26361299},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.26.26361299v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Planning Difficulties in Children and Adolescents with Hearing Loss across Development
AU - K. Monteseirin
AU - M. Mendez-Couz
AU - M. A. Rivas-Fernandez
AU - N. M. Conejo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/26
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.26.26361299
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.26.26361299v1
AB - Children and adolescents with hearing loss frequently encounter reduced auditory access and delayed language development, factors that may influence the maturation of executive functions. This study examined developmental differences in planning, a core executive function, in 98 children and adolescents with hearing loss or normal hearing aged 7-18 years using the Tower of London task. Compared to normal hearing peers, participants with hearing loss made more unnecessary moves and rule violations and initiated problem-solving more rapidly, suggesting reduced preplanning efficiency and increased impulsivity. These group differences were most pronounced in adolescents, who showed faster initiation and greater movement inefficiency than age-matched normal hearing participants. Within the hearing loss group, adolescents displayed higher accuracy and longer initiation times than children, reflecting developmental improvements despite persistent gaps relative to hearing peers. Language development age did not alter the main effects. Findings indicate that reduced early auditory and language access may contribute to differences in planning development, highlighting the need for targeted executive functions support in educational and clinical settings for youth with hearing loss.
ER -