The effect of early diagnosis of hearing loss on school performance of children

Abstract

The present research was aimed at finding out the effect of early diagnosis of hearing impairment on school performance of the hearing-impaired children. The study was carried out on a sample of parents of fifty two students of fifth class (half male and half female) and their teachers. Students were selected randomly from two special schools for hearing-impaired children situated in Rawalpindi city. The causal comparative method was used to study the effect of early diagnosis on school performance of children. Two separate questionnaires were used to collect information from parents and the teachers. Information regarding school performance of children was gathered through a checklist. Before distributing the questionnaires, a pilot study was conducted to test the validity of the questionnaires. Results indicated that majority of students were deaf by birth. It was also revealed that 75% of students with hearing impairment received pre-schooling service facility after diagnosis. The students whose disability was diagnosed within a time period of six months of birth performed better than the students whose disability was diagnosed after six months of their age. There exists a strong relationship between the early diagnosis and school performance of the hearing-impaired children. Results of the study showed that generally parents were not aware of the early steps which could be taken for the better development and performance of the hearing-impaired children. This study generated information about various factors and elements regarding the early diagnosis of hearing impairments. It also pointed out numerous difficulties faced by the parents in the early diagnosis of the hearing impairment.