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School-aged Children with Mild Bilateral and Unilateral Hearing Loss: Parents' Reflections on Services, Experiences,
Viviane Grandpierre1,2, Elizabeth M Fitzpatrick1,2, Eunjung Na1,2
1University of Ottawa.
Insights
Parents of children with mild hearing loss need more support during early school years. Early identification is crucial, but ongoing services are vital for academic success and overall development.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Special Education
Background:
- Newborn hearing screening programs have improved early identification of hearing loss in children.
- Early identification necessitates tailored support programs for parents, especially for milder hearing loss cases.
- Limited research exists on parental support needs during the early school years for children with hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore parents' experiences with services from identification through early school years.
- To understand parents' perceptions of hearing loss consequences on child development.
- To identify specific support needs for parents of children with mild hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative research design using Interpretive Description.
- 12 parents of children with mild hearing loss participated in semi-structured interviews.
- Constant comparative method was used for transcript analysis.
Main Results:
- Four key themes emerged: early service/technology experiences, social functioning impacts, language/academic effects, and early school year experiences.
- Parents reported significant effects of hearing loss on social functioning.
- Hearing loss impacts were also noted in language development and academic performance.
Conclusions:
- Parents require enhanced support services during the early school years for children with mild hearing loss.
- Continued support is essential to mitigate the developmental impacts of hearing loss.
- Addressing parental support needs can contribute to improved academic outcomes for these children.
Abstract:
Following the establishment of newborn hearing screening programs, age of identification and length of time before receiving interventions has been reduced for children, including those with milder degrees of hearing loss who were previously not identified until school age. This population of early-identified children requires new support programs for parents. Although literature is emerging on how parents experience the initial years, there is limited information on support needs during early school years. The objectives were to gain insights into parents' experiences with services during the early period of identification until early school years, as well as their perceptions of the consequences of hearing loss on their child's overall development. A qualitative research design informed by Interpretive Description was employed. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 parents of children identified with mild hearing loss. Transcripts were analyzed using a constant comparative method. Four themes emerged from the data: early experiences with services and hearing technology, effects of hearing loss on social functioning, effects of hearing loss on language and academics, and experiences in early school years. From parents' perspectives, more support during the early school years is needed to help ensure academic success.
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