Childhood hearing loss: An uncertain context for parenting

Parents of children with hearing loss (HL) often navigate an unfamiliar and uncertain path. This qualitative study investigated the nature of parental uncertainty: (1) immediately after a child's HL was identified; (2) prior to primary school entry; and (3) during primary school. Open-ended que...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Deafness & education international 2023-04, Vol.25 (2), p.121-139
Main Authors: Greenhalgh, Kate, Mahler, Nicole, Zimmer-Gembeck, Melanie J., Shanley, Dianne C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child Development
Children
Deafness
decision-making
education
Elementary School Students
family-centred
Foreign Countries
Hearing Impairments
hearing loss
parent
Parent Attitudes
Parents
Psychological Patterns
stress
Students with Disabilities
uncertainty
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Parents of children with hearing loss (HL) often navigate an unfamiliar and uncertain path. This qualitative study investigated the nature of parental uncertainty: (1) immediately after a child's HL was identified; (2) prior to primary school entry; and (3) during primary school. Open-ended questions in online surveys were completed by participants (N = 61) with: (a) personal experience as a parent of a child with HL (n = 35); (b) professional experience with children who have HL (n = 19); or (c) a combination of both parental and professional experience (n = 7). Six major themes were abstracted using thematic analysis, including uncertainty about: (1) the Pervasive Impact of HL, (2) the Nature and Causes of HL, (3) Developmental Impacts, (4) Family Life, (5) Family Decision-Making, and (6) Education and Support Services. The salience of these depended on the stage in time following identification.
ISSN:1464-3154
1557-069X
DOI:10.1080/14643154.2022.2125626