Self-reported social well-being of children with hearing loss in 2023.

OBJECTIVES: To study the level of social well-being for children with HL using self-completed questionnaires. METHODS: The data sample relates to a total of 22 children representing a new group of children with hearing loss (HL). This new group is defined as HL detected through neonatal hearing screening and fitted with hearing technology when relevant before 6 months, received bilateral cochlear implants before one year of age followed by specific educational training using the auditory-verbal practice. The age range was from 9 to 12 years. Two self-completed questionnaires were used: The California Bullying Victimisation Scale (CBVS) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The project design was a prospective case series. RESULTS: Self-completed assessments revealed levels of social well-being for both questionnaires comparable to populations with normal hearing. CBVS results showed that a total of 52.6% reported being 'not a victim', 36.8% peer victims and 10.5% bully victims. Results from SDQ revealed that 94.7% of the children reported being within the normal level for scores on both social strength and difficulties, 5.3% scored slightly raised/lowered and 0% had high/low scores or very high/low scores. CONCLUSION: The new group of children with HL presented with self-completed scores comparable to peers with normal hearing. It is time to raise expectations for children with HL in terms of not only outcomes on audition and spoken language but also most importantly on levels of social well-being. Furthermore, it is discussed whether this new group can also be defined as a new generation of children with HL.

Explaining neurological factors of hearing loss through digital technologies.

The study investigated how inclusion of the considerable amount of knowledge generated through basic research in multisensory experiences can be brought into clinical paediatric audiology with a specific focus to enhance understanding of the neurological implications of childhood hearing loss. OBJECTIVES: The overall aim of the project was to investigate how to use emerging technologies to enhance the understanding of the neurological impact of paediatric hearing loss. The specific objectives were to develop an app and to evaluate its ease of use and the understanding of neurology by all types of stakeholders and end-users. METHODS: A collaborative participatory and human centred research design was used. This methodological approach brought stakeholders into the design process at an early point of time and workshops mapped the content and interaction of the iterative development of the app. Nine clinicians from Copenhagen Hearing and Balance Centre and 4 media technologists from Multisensory Experience Lab participated in the development of the app-prototype. Evaluations were made by use of questionnaires completed by stakeholders and end-users and focus group interviews. Eight parents with children with hearing loss, 13 internal stakeholders and 14 external stakeholders participated in the evaluation of the app. RESULTS: The app was overall positively evaluated. End users/parents with children with hearing loss were slightly more positive than stakeholders/professionals in audiology. CONCLUSIONS: Apps are a future media for providing health care information and it proved both relevant and applicable to start using apps also to provide complex information such as neurological implications of childhood hearing loss.

Cochlear implantation for children.

The introduction of cochlear implants (CI) for pediatric populations with deafness has changed life conditions for deaf children markedly. A new generation of children with CI has emerged, and this review investigates how it has been documented that early intervention with CI and enrolment in family-centered auditory-verbal intervention allow children to close the language gap and develop age-equivalent language before entering school. At the school level, children keep up the language level. Most importantly children assess themselves to have levels of social well-being comparable to their peers with normal hearing.