"It's a hearing world" : parents' perspectives of the social and emotional well-being of children who are deaf and hard of hearing

Abstract

<p>Children with disabilities are known to experience bullying. This study explores parents’ perspectives of the social and emotional well-being of children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH). A combination of social theories guided this research — the social model of disability, the ‘looking glass self’ theory, and the concept of bi-directionality. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 hearing, English-speaking parents of children with hearing loss. All parents voiced instances, based on their observations, where their children have had negative social experiences. Specific analyses of these experiences provided evidence of parental and child activities where threats of rejection and exclusion were minimized. As a result of previous experiences, children showed adaptive responses in order to avoid social situations that threaten their social and emotional well-being. Future implications for this research suggest that we prioritize the social and emotional well-being of children with disabilities, perhaps starting by creating conditions wherein these children are able to build friendships. </p> <p>Keywords: parents, children, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, well-being, friendship</p>