Outcomes of Children with Mild Bilateral Hearing Loss and Unilateral Hearing Loss

Abstract

Studies of children with minimal hearing loss have included children with varying degrees of hearing loss, ranging from 16 dB hearing level (HL) to 44 dB HL. Because children with unilateral, high-frequency, and mild bilateral hearing loss have not previously been identified in the newborn period, it has been difficult to describe the developmental progress of these children. With the early hearing detection and intervention programs, a significant population of very young children is being identified with mild bilateral hearing loss and unilateral hearing loss, some of whom are receiving no intervention services, whereas others begin using amplification and are enrolled in varying intensities and types of intervention services. Although not all children with mild bilateral hearing loss and unilateral hearing loss have significantly delayed development compared with their peers with normal hearing, approximately one third evidence significant difficulties in their language, academic, and social-emotional development. Researchers are striving to identify those characteristics of the children with minimal hearing loss at greatest risk for developmental delay. For a significant portion of children with minimal hearing loss, a hearing loss of any degree appears sufficient to interrupt the normal continuum of communication development and academic skills. This article will present a summary of the current body of literature that has found that children with mild bilateral hearing loss and unilateral hearing loss have significant developmental delays in language, academic, and social-emotional development when compared with typically hearing peers, as well as some studies that have not found such delays. The reasons for these discrepancies will be discussed.