Shaping the early care and education of young deaf children in Ghana

Abstract

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) for deaf11For the purposes of this manuscript, the term “deaf” is used as an inclusive term to refer to children and adults,that encompasses individuals with various hearing levels, different linguistic and cultural experiences, and communication preferences. Medialised terms such as ‘hearing loss’ and ‘deafness’ are used specifically in the reporting of global statistics, audiological explanations relating to early intervention, and to describe societal attitudes children is facilitated in economically rich countries by early identification and prompt access to family-centred intervention. For most low-income countries, this starting point cannot be assumed, and context-sensitive models are needed. Interviews with caregivers of deaf children in Ghana highlight the value of understanding the influence of the environment on caregiver-child relationships and supportive interaction as a basis for the development of ECCE.