Deaf And Hard-of-hearing Research Articles

Mathematics and Sign Language Learning with a Tangible Game: An Inclusive Approach for DHH and Hearing Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of a tangible game, Inclusive Glossary of Mathematical Terms (GIM), to support the teaching of math and Portuguese sign language (Língua Gestual Portuguesa; LGP) to preschool and first-grade children, with an emphasis on inclusive education, knowledge acquisition, and engagement. GIM is composed of physical cards that are complemented by digital videos that run on an interface designed for this game. The game consists of two sets of cards and respective animations. As an inclusive math glossary, it also includes videos where concepts, characters, and objects are identified through images, words, and sign language. During the development process of GIM, it was possible to involve a multidisciplinary team, of which a Deaf sign language teacher and a sign language interpreter were part to ensure the clarity of the sign language and refine the written sentences accompanying the glossary. In order to validate its contents, a focus group of preschool and primary teachers specialized in the teaching of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children was formed. A total of 120 children, aged between three and eight years old (M = 5.61; SD = 0.78), and seven LGP and special education teachers from three Portuguese schools participated in the study. The children used GIM in their classrooms, with the assistance of the participating teachers, who were subsequently interviewed to assess their engagement, interest, and learning outcomes. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis procedures, including descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations. The results indicated that GIM has the potential to effectively support the teaching of mathematics and LGP to preschool and first-grade children, especially in inclusive education contexts. The tangible nature of the game facilitated children's understanding of mathematical concepts and LGP, leading to improved involvement in the teaching-learning process. Moreover, the game promoted awareness of diversity and the principles of inclusive education, making it a valuable tool for promoting social inclusion and understanding. However, the study has reduced sample and context-specific limitations, suggesting a need for further research in this area.

SignRing

Sign language is a natural language widely used by Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) individuals. Advanced wearables are developed to recognize sign language automatically. However, they are limited by the lack of labeled data, which leads to a small vocabulary and unsatisfactory performance even though laborious efforts are put into data collection. Here we propose SignRing, an IMU-based system that breaks through the traditional data augmentation method, makes use of online videos to generate the virtual IMU (v-IMU) data, and pushes the boundary of wearable-based systems by reaching the vocabulary size of 934 with sentences up to 16 glosses. The v-IMU data is generated by reconstructing 3D hand movements from two-view videos and calculating 3-axis acceleration data, by which we are able to achieve a word error rate (WER) of 6.3% with a mix of half v-IMU and half IMU training data (2339 samples for each), and a WER of 14.7% with 100% v-IMU training data (6048 samples), compared with the baseline performance of the 8.3% WER (trained with 2339 samples of IMU data). We have conducted comparisons between v-IMU and IMU data to demonstrate the reliability and generalizability of the v-IMU data. This interdisciplinary work covers various areas such as wearable sensor development, computer vision techniques, deep learning, and linguistics, which can provide valuable insights to researchers with similar research objectives.

SLPs' perceptions of language learning myths about children who are DHH.

This article reports on speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') knowledge related to myths about spoken language learning of children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). The broader study was designed as a step toward narrowing the research-practice gap and providing effective, evidence-based language services to children. In the broader study, SLPs (n = 106) reported their agreement/disagreement with myth statements and true statements (n = 52) about 7 clinical topics related to speech and language development. For the current report, participant responses to 7 statements within the DHH topic were analyzed. Participants exhibited a relative strength in bilingualism knowledge for spoken languages and a relative weakness in audiovisual integration knowledge. Much individual variation was observed. Participants' responses were more likely to align with current evidence about bilingualism if the participants had less experience as an SLP. The findings provide guidance on prioritizing topics for speech-language pathology preservice and professional development.

Parent-Reported Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder–Linked Behaviors, Fatigue, and Language in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out if children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH), particularly those without substantially delayed language, appear to be at risk for overreporting of inattentive and hyperactive behaviors and if attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) measures are influenced by the presence of language-based items, by child language skills, and by child and parent report of fatigue. Method: This study included 24 children with typical hearing, 13 children with hearing aids (HA), and 16 children with cochlear implants (CI) in second through sixth grade. Parents of children in each group completed a measure reporting on inattentive and hyperactive behaviors, social and academic outcomes, and general fatigue for their child. Children participated in a norm-referenced language assessment and completed a self-report of fatigue. Results: Analyses revealed an effect of hearing status on overall inattention ratings and social/academic performance: Children with CI had significantly lower ratings of inattention, and children with HA had more social/academic performance deficits. Differences in inattention scores for children with CI remained even when items biased toward language skills were removed from the measure, but differences in performance for children with HA disappeared. Omnibus language scores significantly correlated with academic and social outcomes, whereas parent report of fatigue significantly correlated with inattention and hyperactivity. Conclusions: Parent report of behaviors linked with ADHD, including inattention and hyperactivity, is likely influenced by child language knowledge and overall fatigue. Comorbid diagnosis of ADHD in children who are DHH must consider these factors.

An Analysis of Mental State Verb and Complex Syntax Use in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) have documented deficits with complex syntax and vocabulary knowledge. Mental state verbs (MSVs) are necessary for some kinds of complex syntax use and communicate abstract concepts needed for academic language. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency, diversity, and syntactic context of MSV use in children who are DHH compared to children with typical hearing (CTH). Seventy-three preschool children (23 with cochlear implants, 22 with hearing aids, and 28 with typical hearing) completed a structured language sample as part of a larger assessment battery. Samples were analyzed and compared across groups for use of MSVs, diversity in MSV use, and syntactical context for MSVs. Children who are DHH used significantly fewer MSV in complex syntax, a smaller diversity of MSV, and significantly fewer MSV in obligatory contexts compared to CTH. Results for the cochlear implants and hearing aid groups were not significantly different from one another despite differing levels of hearing loss. Children who are DHH demonstrate significant differences in the rate, diversity, and complexity of MSV use compared to peers with typical hearing. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24091860.

Identifying Developmental Language Disorder in Deaf Children with Cochlear Implants: A Case Study of Three Children.

(1) Background: While spoken language learning delays are assumed for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children after cochlear implant (CI), many catch up with their hearing peers. Some DHH children with CIs, however, show persistent delays in language, despite protective factors being in place. This suggests a developmental language disorder (DLD). However, at present there is little consensus on how to diagnose DLD in DHH children. (2) Methods: Given the lack of consensus in this area, a set of case studies provides an appropriate first step. The goal of this paper is to show the plausibility of a DLD diagnosis, following careful analysis of protective and risk factors. A retrospective case study review was conducted for three children. Their long-term language outcomes up to four years after CI were considered in the context of access to sound, speech sound discrimination, social skills and non-verbal cognition. (3) Results: It was possible to posit DLD in one child who had experienced good access to sound, alongside good speech discrimination abilities and social development, and normal non-verbal cognition, but who presented with severe language learning difficulties. (4) Conclusions: Finding markers for DLD in DHH children is important for diagnosis and intervention. The implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Lexical-Semantic Organization as Measured by Repeated Word Association in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Who Use Spoken Language.

This study compares responses of children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) who use spoken language with responses of children who have typical hearing on a repeated word association task to evaluate lexical-semantic organization. This study included 109 participants in early kindergarten or who had completed first grade. The younger group included 30 children with typical hearing, 22 with hearing aids, and 21 with cochlear implants. The older group included 16 children with typical hearing, nine with hearing aids, and 11 with cochlear implants. Children were asked to give a word associated with 24 stimuli words. Responses were coded according to their relation to the target. An analysis of variance revealed that older children, regardless of hearing status, produced more semantically related responses to prompts than younger children. Children in the younger DHH group differed from children with typical hearing in their production of non-semantically related responses: They produced errored responses at higher rates. This preliminary data may indicate an early deficit in recognition of semantic relations between words for children who are DHH and provides a basis for continued longitudinal study of changes in lexical-semantic organization.

A Transition to Multimodal Multilingual Practice: From SimCom to Translanguaging

Historically, the field of deaf education has revolved around language planning discourse, but little research has been conducted on Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students with additional disabilities as dynamic multilingual and multimodal language users. The current study focuses on the language planning process at a school serving DHH and Deaf–Blind students with varied additional disabilities. A previous Total Communication philosophy at the school was implemented in practice as Simultaneous Communication (SimCom) and later revised as a multimodal-multilingual approach with the goal of separating American Sign Language (ASL) and English and using multimodal communication such as tactile ASL and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). To implement this philosophy without reverting back to SimCom, the school employed a language planning process using action research to reflect on cycles of improvement. A grounded theory approach was used to identify and analyze themes over a three-year period of language planning and professional development in multimodal communication. Triangulated data includes language planning artifacts and an online survey of staff perceptions—analyzed by coding concepts and categories, relating concepts to define translanguaging mechanisms and attitudes, and developing an overarching theory on how a school values translanguaging after 3 years of valuing complete access to language. In the context of a multilingual, multimodal language planning cycle, developing a shared language ideology guided by how Deaf, DeafBlind, and Deaf-Disabled (DDBDD) people use language emerged as an overarching theme that promoted dynamic languaging and understanding of strategies for effective communication.

Emergency department patient-centred care perspectives from deaf and hard-of-hearing patients.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) patients are a priority population for emergency medicine health services research. DHH patients are at higher risk than non-DHH patients of using the emergency department (ED), have longer lengths of stay in the ED and report poor patient-provider communication. This qualitative study aimed to describe ED care-seeking and patient-centred care perspectives among DHH patients. This qualitative study is the second phase of a mixed-methods study. The goal of this study was to further explain quantitative findings related to ED outcomes among DHH and non-DHH patients. We conducted semistructured interviews with 4 DHH American Sign Language(ASL)-users and 6 DHH English speakers from North Central Florida. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using a descriptive qualitative approach. Two themes were developed: (1) DHH patients engage in a complex decision-making process to determine ED utilization and (2) patient-centred ED care differs between DHH ASL-users and DHH English speakers. The first theme describes the social-behavioural processes through which DHH patients assess their need to use the ED. The second theme focuses on the social environment within the ED: patients feeling stereotyped, involvement in the care process, pain communication, receipt of accommodations and discharge processes. This study underscores the importance of better understanding, and intervening in, DHH patient ED care-seeking and care delivery to improve patient outcomes. Like other studies, this study also finds that DHH patients are not a monolithic group and language status is an equity-relevant indicator. We also discuss recommendations for emergency medicine. This study convened a community advisory group made up of four DHH people to assist in developing research questions, data collection toolsand validation of the analysis and interpretation of data. Community advisory group members who were interested in co-authorship are listed in the byline, with others in the acknowledgements. In addition, several academic-based co-authors are also deaf or hard of hearing.

Deaf and Hearing American Sign Language-English Bilinguals: Typical Bilingual Language Development.

Some studies have concluded that sign language hinders spoken language development for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children even though sign language exposure could protect DHH children from experiencing language deprivation. Furthermore, this research has rarely considered the bilingualism of children learning a signed and a spoken language. Here we compare spoken English development in 2-6-year-old deaf and hearing American Sign Language-English bilingual children to each other and to monolingual English speakers in a comparison database. Age predicted bilinguals' language scores on all measures, whereas hearing status was only significant for one measure. Both bilingual groups tended to score below monolinguals. Deaf bilinguals' scores differed more from monolinguals, potentially because of later age of and less total exposure to English, and/or to hearing through a cochlear implant. Overall, these results are consistent with typical early bilingual language development. Research and practice must treat signing-speaking children as bilinguals and consider the bilingual language development literature.

Evaluation devices in the narratives of deaf/hard of hearing and hearing Arabic-speaking adolescents.

Pragmatic language use in general and the use of evaluation devices (EDs) are very important components in everyday communication and expressing thoughts and feelings in narrative production. However, very little is known about the use of evaluative devices in the narratives of Arabic-speaking adolescents, especially those who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). The present study investigated the use of EDs in personal oral narratives elicited from 124 hearing and DHH Arabic-speaking adolescents. Each participant was asked to tell a personal story about a time he or she was in a dangerous situation. Narratives were transcribed and coded for nine different types of evaluation. A three-way interaction of group (hearing/DHH) by gender (Female/Male) by evaluation type emerged such that female hearing adolescents' narratives contained significantly more frames of mind than the narratives of DHH females and hearing males and more hedges than DHH females. In addition, hearing males' narratives contained more hedges than those of DHH males and more negative comments than the narratives of both hearing females and DHH males. The present research identifies factors that facilitate narrative abilities by DHH. Discussion centres on explanations for group and gender differences in terms of exposure and language socialization. What is already known on this subject Although narratives have been researched extensively in comparisons of hearing and deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children, only a few studies have examined pragmatic language use in general and evaluation devices in particular. These studies show that the narratives of DHH children and adolescents contain fewer figurative expressions, frames of mind and hedges and that children who are DHH have difficulty comprehending and producing metaphors. Very little is known about the use of evaluative devices in the narratives of Arabic-speaking adolescents, especially those who are DHH. What this study adds The present study found that hearing participants produced significantly more evaluation devices (Eds) than their DHH peers, and female participants produced significantly more EDs than their male peers. Moreover, hearing females' narratives contained more frames of mind and more hedges than did the narratives of DHH females; also, hearing females' narratives contained more frames of mind than those of hearing males. In addition, hearing males' narratives contained more hedges than those of DHH males. Finally, hearing males' narratives had more negative comments than both the narratives of hearing females and those of DHH males. Clinical implications The one evaluation device produced in large numbers (hedges) by adolescents who are DHH was expressed in only one of two ways. One important clinical implication of this finding is that pragmatic language in general and use of EDs in particular should be part of any speech and language evaluation. Another takeaway is that intervention should attempt to provide rich exposure to social communicative language, providing many ways to convey each function, enabling adolescents to communicate in different contexts.

An end-to-end framework for translation of American sign language to low-resource languages in Nigeria

Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) is a communication impairment that affects millions of people worldwide, hindering communication through the vocal cavity and requiring the use of sign language. This communication gap often leads to limited access to education and job opportunities. While artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technologies have been investigated to address this issue, there has been no study focusing on the intelligent and automatic translation of American sign gestures to text in low-resource languages (LRL) specifically in Nigeria. To address this gap, we propose a novel end-to-end framework for translating American Sign Language (ASL) to LRLs such as Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba in Nigeria. Our framework employs a Transformer-based model for ASL-to-Text generation and a translation model known as no language left behind for translating the generated text from English to LRL. We evaluated the performance of the ASL-to-Text model using BLEU scores, which resulted in BLEU-1, BLEU-2, BLEU-3, and BLEU-4 scores of 18.55, 8.99, 4.99, and 2.96, respectively. Qualitative analysis of the framework shows that the participants were able to comprehend the translated text and were also satisfied with both the ASL-to-Text and Text-to-LRL models. Our proposed framework demonstrates the potential for AI-driven technologies to foster inclusivity in sociocultural interactions and education, especially for people with DHH in low-resource settings.

Morphological Awareness and DHH Students' Reading-Related Abilities: A Meta-Analysis of Correlations.

This article presents the first meta-analysis on correlations of morphological awareness (MA) with reading-related abilities in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students (k = 14, N = 556). The results showed high mean correlations of MA with all three reading-related abilities: rs = 0.610, 0.712, and 0.669 (all ps < 0.001), respectively, for word reading, vocabulary knowledge, and reading comprehension. A set of moderator analysis was conducted of language, DHH students' age/reading stage and degree of hearing loss, and task type. The correlation of MA with word reading was significantly stronger in alphabetic than in non-alphabetic languages, and for fluency than accuracy; for vocabulary knowledge, the correlation was significantly stronger for production MA tasks than for judgment tasks; for reading comprehension, derivational MA tasks showed a stronger correlation than those having a mixed focus on inflection and derivation. While no other moderator effects were significant, the correlations for subsets of effect sizes were largely high for a moderator. These findings reaffirmed the importance of morphology in DHH students' reading development. The present synthesis, while evidencing major development of research on the metalinguistic underpinnings of reading in DHH students, also showed that the literature on MA is still very limited.

The Digitization Technology for the Deaf on Cruise Passenger ships “the Problems and the Solutions”

Deaf people are an entity that exists in all societies and countries. The problem is deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) face major difficulties during transportation of all kinds, especially marine ones. This Study clarifies those challenges, problems and draws the attention of governments, international organizations, and associations to the requirement for improving the field of maritime transport. A questionnaire was developed for the deaf to identify the problems facing the deaf and how to find solutions to these problems (about 380 deaf people participated in). Another questionnaire was developed for seafarers in the field of cruise and marine passenger transport, in order to recognize the problems, also there are many interviews with workers during their contacts with the deaf and their participation in providing solutions, and approximately 60 people participated in. The results reveal that the deaf community does not enjoy all rights in transportation. The research has many limitations, it is so difficult to gain a sample of participants chosen from the DHH in the Arab countries, and also very difficult to communicate with them. In addition to, the lack of research, references, and studies on this concern. Keywords: DHHs – Passenger ships – transportation – Deaf rights – A smartphone application

The Digitization Technology for the Deaf on Cruise Passenger ships “the Problems and the Solutions”

Deaf people are an entity that exists in all societies and countries. The problem is deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) face major difficulties during transportation of all kinds, especially marine ones. This Study clarifies those challenges, problems and draws the attention of governments, international organizations, and associations to the requirement for improving the field of maritime transport. A questionnaire was developed for the deaf to identify the problems facing the deaf and how to find solutions to these problems (about 380 deaf people participated in). Another questionnaire was developed for seafarers in the field of cruise and marine passenger transport, in order to recognize the problems, also there are many interviews with workers during their contacts with the deaf and their participation in providing solutions, and approximately 60 people participated in. The results reveal that the deaf community does not enjoy all rights in transportation. The research has many limitations, it is so difficult to gain a sample of participants chosen from the DHH in the Arab countries, and also very difficult to communicate with them. In addition to, the lack of research, references, and studies on this concern.

Socio-Emotional Experiences and Wellbeing of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Their Parents before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children in Victoria, Australia, were exposed to strict public health restrictions, including sustained lockdowns, during the COVID-19 pandemic. DHH children have higher health and socio-emotional needs than their hearing peers. We aimed to (1) describe the socio-emotional experiences of DHH children and their parents and (2) compare child and parent socio-emotional wellbeing, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between May and September 2020, 497 (62%) parents of DHH children from the Victorian Childhood Hearing Longitudinal Databank completed an online survey. Measures were drawn from the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS) v3.0. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics to compare outcomes before and during the pandemic. Parents reported their children to have more negative socio-emotional wellbeing (mean emotions/worries score, EWS, changed from 0.76 pre-pandemic to 1.10 during the pandemic, mean difference 0.34, 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.39), regardless of the type or severity of hearing loss. Parents also had more negative socio-emotional wellbeing (mean EWS changed from 1.05 pre-pandemic to 1.43 during the pandemic, mean difference 0.38, 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.44). Negative socio-emotional experiences co-occurred with large social changes during the pandemic. Additional services should support the socio-emotional wellbeing of DHH children during significant adverse childhood experiences.

청각장애 중〮고등학생의 미디어 이용과 교육 현황

Purpose: In this study, media use and media education status of Deaf and Hard of Hearing(DHH) adolescents were analyzed, and the results of the study are as follows. method: To achieve the purpose of the study, questionnaire items were developed and a questionnaire survey was conducted through literature analysis and expert consultation. Results: First, the most used social media by DHH adolescents was SNS, followed by video platform, messenger service, internet portal, online cafe, online blog, and metaverse platform. The reason for using social media was not only for conversation/communication, but also for the purpose of obtaining various contents or information/news, so the reasons for using social media were more diverse than that of hearing teenagers. As a result of examining applications for DHH adolescents, it was found that there is a lack of useful applications for DHH students as most of them have no experience in using them. Second, the contents of media education received at school accounted for a high proportion of online etiquette(netiquette) education, online personal information protection methods, information search, video filming and editing, followed by fact-checking and critical criticism. Evaluation and fairness judgment of news were relatively low. The path of learning to use media was in the order of self-practice, school teacher, friend or senior, parents, and out-of-school teachers such as media education instructors. This suggests that media education is not being carried out systematically and efficiently for students with hearing impairments in schools.

Exploratory study of spoken and sign language comprehension among Deaf and Hard-of-hearing adults in Slovenia

The aim of this study was to explore spoken and sign language comprehension among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) adults in Slovenia. A sample of 116 DHH participants from eleven Slovenian DHH associations completed a series of tasks that were used to measure their comprehension abilities related to spoken and sign language. The instructions were stratified into three groups according to the complexity of the language. Positive correlations were established between the comprehension ability of spoken and sign language. Slovenian DDH participants differed significantly with respect to the following predictors of spoken and sign language comprehension: age at onset of hearing loss, degree of hearing loss, and age of sign language exposure. The findings of this study provide a starting point for further research on the comprehension of spoken and sign language.

Особенности электронного обучения иностранному языку студентов с нарушением слуха в формате онлайн-марафона

Nowadays, the need to improve Internet accessibility brings the assessment of e-learning formats effectiveness to immediate attention of researches in inclusive higher education. This project aim was to understand the specifics of implementation of an online marathon for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students who learn a foreign language. The authors noticed some differences in the dynamics and activity of DHH students doing online courses in different formats. There was no statistically significant difference in the amount of homework submitted on time between the two formats. However, when students participated in the online marathon, the number of students who completed most of the assignments on time, and the frequency of the submitted assignments increased. The number of completed assignments increased steadily during the online marathon, while the number of submitted assignments decreased in the middle part of the electronic learning course. The microcourse which was designed and implemented in the online marathon format for DHH students at the M.T. Kalashnikov IzhSTU was included in the list of the “Marathon of Best Practices for Applying New Technologies for Education, Training, and Socialization of Students with Limited Health Abilities and with Disabilities in the Universities of the Russian Federation.”

Pharmacists' communication skills with deaf and hard of hearing patients: A needs assessment.

Assess the Saudi pharmacists' perceptions of their responsibilities toward deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) patients, their current practices, and their need for communication skills training. A prospective cross-sectional study. Pharmacist and deaf communication questionnaire (PDCQ), a newly structured, validated, pilot-tested, and self-administered online questionnaire, was used to collect data. A total of 303 pharmacists working in the Saudi community and outpatient pharmacies participated in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS and descriptive statistics were used to describe the study findings. These included Mean ± standard deviation (SD), frequency, and Chi-square tests. Most pharmacists perceived that DHH patients had difficulty correctly understanding their medication instructions. Writing was the most common method used for communication, whereas the unavailability of interpreters and the low reading levels of these patients were the highest barriers to communication. Moreover, most pharmacists believed that they should be skilled at communicating with DHH patients. However, many pharmacists felt that they are not well prepared to communicate with these patients. This research highlights the poor skills, low confidence and low knowledge Saudi pharmacists have about their legal obligations towards DHH patients. In addition, there is paucity of sufficient resources to help pharmacists improve their communication with such patients.