18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
3/06/2012 | 3:05 PM - 3:35 PM | Great (?) Expectations: Parent perspectives of early hearing detection and intervention | Missouri Pacific | 6
Great (?) Expectations: Parent perspectives of early hearing detection and intervention
Early detection of hearing loss can have positive consequences, allowing the possibility of early intervention, and potentially leading to improved developmental outcomes. For parents however, learning about their child’s hearing loss can be a devastating and daunting experience. Supporting parents to support their child, requires an understanding of the factors influencing their experiences of diagnosis and rehabilitation.
The current study was undertaken as part of the Australian, Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI; www.outcomes.nal.gov.au) study. This sub-study used focus groups and questionnaires to examine parents’ responses to their child’s hearing diagnosis, their sources of support, and the day-to-day challenges they faced. Forty-six parents’ responses to open ended questions were coded, and themes identified for analysis.
Parents’ responses provided a few, somewhat expected results. The majority of parents related feelings of grief and sadness at the time of their child’s diagnosis, and showed a preference for early diagnosis, referring to the possibility of early intervention and better outcomes as their biggest motivator. Parents also expressed difficulties with the use and maintenance of hearing devices.
Less expected were parents’ high expectations of hearing rehabilitation, and their varied perceptions of the level of support and information provided by hearing professionals. A number of parents also reported difficulty remembering that (regardless of the device used) their child still had a hearing impairment, and still required communicative assistance in a range of situations.
The results of this study point to parents who perceive a need to provide early intervention, but who may hold unrealistic expectations of what this may achieve, and be unnecessarily anxious about their ability to support intervention. Hearing professionals have a valuable role to play in assisting families to determine tailored goals for their child, in order to balance encouragement and support against potential avoidable stress.
- Consider the range of effects of early detection on families of children with a hearing loss
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Presenters/Authors
Megan Gilliver
(POC,Primary Presenter,Author), National Acoustic Laboratories, Megan.gilliver@nal.gov.au;
Megan has a background in psychology and linguistics and holds a strong interest in child development.
Since 2011, Megan has worked as a Research Psychologist with the National Acoustic Laboratories investigating a range of issues relating to hearing health, prevention, and intervention. As a team member with the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI) study, she is working with on projects examining the outcomes of children with bilateral and unilateral hearing loss.
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