Millions of children have some hearing loss, and millions more may be undiagnosed. This year, the theme of World Hearing Day is “From Communities to Classrooms: Hearing Care for All Children.”
In recognition of this theme, we’re highlighting some of the recent articles we’ve published on hearing issues in children. Read more below!
Language and Speech in Children With Hearing Disabilities
Language Interventions for School-Aged Children Who Are d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Students with hearing loss benefit from language interventions that (a) develop literacy skills and (b) increase their academic performance and overall quality of life. Read about high-quality studies on the effects of language interventions for children who are deaf and hard of hearing—and which interventions were most effective.
Language, Speech Production, Functional Performance, and Social Skills of 3-Year-Old Children With Congenital Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Hearing Intervention: This study investigated factors that contribute to language, speech, auditory, and social skills for young people with unilateral hearing loss. Surprisingly, the authors found that early language input may play a stronger role than hearing device usage in these children.
Cochlear Implants in Children
Hearing Early Opens More Doors: Long-Term Effects of Age at Implantation on Metaphor Comprehension in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cochlear Implants: Children who receive cochlear implants at an early age reach better early speech outcomes. However, early implantation can also influence higher linguistic skills—such as metaphor comprehension.
Investigating Bimodal Fitting Solutions in Children: Bimodal solutions can help children better identify speech in noise, but existing hearing aid fitting formulas do not take bimodal listening into account. This article describes a prescriptive fitting formula that audiologists can use to individualize bimodal fittings in children.
Screening, Developmental Disabilities, and Quality of Life
Impact of Preschool Hearing Screening in Low-Income Communities: Program Outcomes and Caregiver Perspectives: Community-based hearing screenings can help ensure that children in low- and middle-income countries have access to essential audiology services. The authors highlighted the importance of addressing caregiver concerns and providing culturally appropriate education.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Developmental Disabilities Among Children Who Receive Hearing Health Care: Developmental disabilities may co-occur with reduced hearing and are common among children receiving audiology services. Understanding common co-occurring disabilities can help you tailor your practice to meet the unique needs of these individuals.
A Case Study on Perspectives of Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Factors Influencing Quality of Life, an Application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Framework: One key goal when helping young people with hearing loss succeed is to improve their overall quality of life. The authors interviewed parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing on prominent themes that influence overall well-being.
From Communities to Classrooms
If you’re looking for more resources, be sure to check out the Pediatric Hearing and Hearing Disorders section of Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interests Groups. Or learn more about addressing barriers to hearing health care in the Audiology section of our Special Collection on social determinants of health.
We hope that these featured articles help you in your quest to provide high-quality hearing care for all children. You can join others—the World Health Organization, ASHA, and countless other organizations—as we honor World Hearing Day on March 3.
