Introduction: Compared to children with typical hearing (TH), deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children often experience greater challenges in developing language skills, communicative competence, executive functioning (EF), and socio-emotional competence. Previous research has suggested associations among these developmental domains.
Purpose: This study investigates the relationships among language skills in sign and spoken languages, communicative competence, EF, and socio-emotional competence in DHH children.
Method: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from N = 77 DHH first graders aged 5 to 10 years (M = 6.95, SD = 0.63). Standardized assessments and validated teacher-rated questionnaires were administered. Data analysis included Pearson correlations, simple bivariate regression analyses conducted with SPSS as well as path analysis conducted with AMOS.
Results: Significant associations were found across the developmental domains, with moderate to strong positive correlations (r = .24-.85, all p < .05). Communicative competence significantly predicted both EF (β = .24, p = .034, R² = .06) and socio-emotional competence (β = .24, p = .034, R² = .06), whereas language skills did not. Furthermore, EF significantly predicted socio-emotional competence (β = .85, p < .001, R² = .72). Path analysis revealed that language skills predicted communicative competence (β = .36 and β = .46), which in turn predicted EF (β = .28). EF strongly predicted socio-emotional competence (β = .83), while the direct effect of communicative competence on socio-emotional competence was negligible (β = .02). These results indicate that the link between language skills an socio-emotional competence is mediated through communicative competence and EF.
Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the complex interplay among language, communicative, cognitive, and socio-emotional development in DHH children. Ensuring that DHH children have access to language systems, for example through early bimodal-bilingual intervention, may foster communicative competence, which in turn promotes EF development and, ultimately, socio-emotional competence.