School-aged Children with Mild Bilateral and Unilateral Hearing Loss: Parents ’ Reflections on Services, Experiences, and Outcomes

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.
Source: Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education - Category: Audiology Source Type: research