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Välimaa, Tainauniversity teacher |
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| Postdoctoral researcher, (from January 1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2013). |
Research
Current ongoing projects:
1) Speech perception and speech and language development in children with unilateral and/or bilateral cochlear implant(s)
The study is a multi-centre prospective study with a repeated-measures design. The main goal of the study is to investigate speech perception and speech and language development of Finnish children with severe or profound hearing impairment receiving their cochlear implant(s) before the age of two years.
Project leader: Professor Sari Kunnari. Research team: PhD, postdoctoral researcher, SLT, Taina Välimaa (main researcher), Phil.Lic., SLT, Eila Lonka, University of Helsinki, MA, SLT, Satu Rimmanen, Turku University Hospital, Professor, MD, PhD, Heikki Löppönen, University of Eastern Finland.
Collaborations: Universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland and Turku, University Hospitals of Oulu, Helsinki, Kuopio and Turku. Associate Professor, PhD, CCC-SLP David J. Ertmer, Department of
Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, USA.
Funding: Academy of Finland, General research grant.
2) Cost Action IS0804, Language Impairment in a Multilingual Society:
Linguistic Patterns and the Road to Assessment
The main objective of this action is to profile bilingual specific language impairment by establishing a network that will coordinate research on the linguistic and cognitive abilities of bilingual children with SLI across different migrant communities. The Action is coordinated by a Management Committee (MC), under which Working Groups (WGs) are set up. Participants of the Action come from 31 countries.
Chair of the Action: Sharon Armon- Lotem, Bar-Ilan University. Vice Chair: Jan de Jong, University of Amsterdam. Finnish MC members: Professor Sari Kunnari, University of Oulu, PhD, university lecturer Ekaterina Protassova, University of Helsinki. MC Substitute Members: PhD, postdoctoral researcher Taina Välimaa, University of Oulu, Professor Arto Mustajoki, University of Helsinki.
Funding: European Science Foundation.
3) Experiments on the effect of frequency bands on auditory speech perception by adult cochlear implant users
The main goal of the descriptive part (launched January 1st, 2007) is to investigate in a prospective four-year follow-up design adult cochlear implant users’ (CI user) auditory speech perception during initial four years after implantation. The aim of the experimental part of the study (launched January 1st, 2008) is to investigate the importance of different frequencies on auditory speech perception. The aim is to shed light on auditory speech perception in adult CI users as a function of electrode insertion depth and manipulated stimulation range, and the critical frequencies in the perception of vowels and consonants in Finnish.
Project leader: PhD, postdoctoral researcher Taina Välimaa. Research team: Professor Martti Sorri, MD, PhD Jaakko Laitakari, PhD (Tech.) Ville Sivonen, Laura Brotherus. Collaborators: University Hospital of Oulu, Aalto University School of Science and Technology.
Funding: Academy of Finland 2007–2009, postdoctoral researcher’s grant. Med-El GmbH., Germany (co-financer) 2008–2009.
4) Speech and language development after unilateral cochlear implantation
The main aim of the project is to investigate speech and language development of Finnish children with severe or profound hearing impairment who have received a unilateral cochlear implant at the mean age of 3 years 4 months. The project also studies changes in the quality of life of the children and their families.
Main researcher: PhD, docent, research fellow Kerttu Huttunen. Research team: PhD, postdoctoral researcher Taina Välimaa, Professor Emeritus, Martti Sorri. Collaborators: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu. M.Phil. Sue Archbold, The Ear Foundation, Nottingham, United Kingdom, Professor Mark Lutman, Hearing and Balance Centre, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.