Understanding and Recognition of Hearing in Children and Young Adults with Hearing Loss and Their Parents

Abstract

　 Medical knowledge of their own hearing loss is one of the essential elements for self-advocacy of the hearing impaired.　

　 We conducted a questionnaire survey of 88 persons with hearing loss, including children and young adults aged 8 to 24 years who were diagnosed as having hearing impairment at a young age and had been visiting us regularly, and 79 of their parents, to determine their understanding of the audiogram and knowledge of their hearing loss. After the questionnaire survey, we provided the subjects with medical information about hearing. Then, we checked to see if they understood the information correctly.

　 The results revealed that 59% of the persons with hearing loss and 13% of parents did not know how to interpret an audiogram. Forty percent of the hearing-impaired persons and 73% of parents had a proper understanding of the severity of their own hearing loss. On the other hand, 35% of the hearing-impaired persons and 23% of parents understood that they had milder hearing loss than they actually had. Eighteen percent of the hearing-impaired persons and 69% of parents knew the type of their hearing loss (sensorineural, conductive, or combined) correctly. The percentage of subjects who had the knowledge about audiograms and hearing loss was significantly higher among the parents than among the persons with hearing loss. Children and young adults in junior high school and above knew more about the interpretation of audiograms and severity of their hearing loss than elementary school students. Parents with children in deaf schools knew more correctly about the types of hearing loss in their children than parents with children in mainstream schools. Thirty-nine percent of the hearing-impaired persons and 58% of their parents requested information about hearing. After the information was provided, the percentage of both persons with hearing loss and parents who understood the interpretation of audiograms and hearing loss increased significantly.　

　 It is important for medical professionals to provide proper medical information about their hearing to children with congenital or infant-onset hearing loss. However, there still remain issues, such as when and how best to provide the information.