Semantic fluency task (SFT) is used to measure lexical organisation and executive function across the lifespan and requires participants to name examples from a particular semantic category in a specific period of time. Using this test, the authors investigated a large sample of deaf children in the UK. The results of their study indicated that deaf children on average produced fewer responses in comparison to hearing children. However, they did demonstrate similar response patterns for commonly produced items, even categorising the items into subcategories. SFT seems to have clinical utility in a heterogenous deaf population and the authors conclude that it can be used to investigate lexical organisation in deaf children. This paper provides normative data to help clinicians use SFT with deaf children.
Semantic fluency test to investigate deaf children
Reviewed by Gauri Mankekar
Semantic fluency in deaf children who use spoken and signed language in comparison with hearing peers.
CONTRIBUTOR
Gauri Mankekar
Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
View Full Profile
