The cochlear implant represents a radical intervention in the hearing-impaired child's life, which has a profound influence on the feelings and emotions of the child's family. In this study it is endeavoured to identify and to describe this influence. A literature study was done. Families of implanted children in Scotland and in South Africa filled in questionnaires and interviews were held. This study illuminates the fact that parents suffer stress and have various concerns before as well as after the implant. Different reasons why parents decide to give their child a cochlear implant are described. The researcher came to the conclusion that the implanted child functions in a more balanced way and that parents are very satisfied after the implantation. The effect of the implant is described under the following categories: communication, feelings of parents, effect on the deaf child, normality, effect on parents, effect on siblings. / Education / M.Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)

The cochlear implant represents a radical intervention in the hearing-impaired child's life, which has a profound influence on the feelings and emotions of the child's family. In this study it is endeavoured to identify and to describe this influence. A literature study was done. Families of implanted children in Scotland and in South Africa filled in questionnaires and interviews were held. This study illuminates the fact that parents suffer stress and have various concerns before as well as after the implant. Different reasons why parents decide to give their child a cochlear implant are described. The researcher came to the conclusion that the implanted child functions in a more balanced way and that parents are very satisfied after the implantation. The effect of the implant is described under the following categories: communication, feelings of parents, effect on the deaf child, normality, effect on parents, effect on siblings. / Education / M.Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)

This research report investigates the experience of identity construction of a young Deaf man born into a hearing family in the township of Bluegumbosch, QwaQwa in the Free State Province of South Africa. Through the science of ethnography and an intensive study of a single family unit, focus is given to personal narratives in understanding the impact a Deaf young man has on his hearing family members operating within wider socio-political frameworks. This research report aims to bridge the gap in the paucity of family-oriented research in a Black township community, and with providing South African mainstream society with an understanding of Deaf children and the manner in which they contemporarily construct their identity, alongside the use and acknowledgement that SASL is a natural and complete language.

Deafness is one on the most common types of disability in South Africa with 90% of deaf children being born to hearing parents, many of whom are unprepared for the consequences of deafness. Since deafness is an invisible disability, the severity of its impact upon both the child and the family is often underestimated. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of hearing parents raising deaf children. Thus, the primary research questions were: What are the experiences of hearing parents raising deaf children in South Africa, and how do various ecosystemic variables affect the way they manage their parenting role? This study was informed by the ecological systems theory which is the theoretical framework that underpins this study. The research paradigm shaping this study was pragmatism, while the strategy used was phenomenology. The mixed methods approach was employed, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches concurrently in a triangulation design. The findings emanating from the quantitative data served to complement the findings from the qualitative data. These findings were corroborated in the interpretation stage. The findings, representing the lived experiences of hearing parents raising deaf children, show that although the parenting experiences differ according to the unique circumstances in the family, school and community, there are several commonalities. These include issues associated with the diagnosis and parenting of deaf children. Some of these issues included the challenge of communicating with the deaf child, the financial burden, stigmatization from the general public, strained interpersonal relationships, concern about the child’s future, as well as lack of opportunities for the Deaf to study at tertiary institutions and limited employment opportunities for deaf persons. The findings from both sets of data reveal that, despite the resilience of participants, there is a need for formal support for parents from professionals in the community, as well as informal parental support from the family, friends, and community members, including other hearing parents raising deaf children, and the need for a central location to access information on deafness and related matters. Recommendations were made to address these issues, with a view to facilitating the emotional well-being of hearing parents raising deaf children, and consequently improving the quality of life of the deaf child and the family. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

From Introduction: Gehoor speel 'n belangrike rol in die leerproses, in aanpassing by die omgewing asook in aanpassing by sosiale omstandighede. Gehoorverlies plaas die individu in 'n situasie van vereensaming, veroorsaak deur 'n beperktheid in kommunikasievermoë. (Roux, 1979:1) Dr Roux, Direkteur van Gesondheidsdienste van die Departement van Gesondheid, Welsyn en Pensioene, het tydens die Goue Jubileum-Kongres van die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Raad vir Dowes daarop gewys dat gehoorverlies vandag meer Amerikaners affekteer as hartsiektes, kanker, blindheid, tuberkulose, veneriese siektes, sklerose en niersiektes tesame. (Roux, 1979:1) In Suid-Afrika word beraam dat 0,06% van aIle babas totaal doof gebore word en dat die aantal persone met ernstige gehoorprobleme, volgens die skatting van die Departement van Gesondheid, Welsyn en Pensioene, 65 000 beloop. Hierdie getal sluit Swartes uit. (Roux, 1979:1) ... Die probleem van doofheid is kompleks en soms so ingewikkeld dat dit te betwyfel is of die horende individu die omvang daarvan begryp en insig in die situasie van die dowe kan ontwikkel. Empatie met die dowe en begrip vir sy leefwêreld is vir die horende persoon problematies. 'n Wêreld sonder klank is moeilik om te visualiseer en 'n wêreld sonder taal lê buite die begripsvermoë van die horende. Daar bestaan op velerlei gebiede verwarring ten opsigte van die dowe. Die horende persoon besef gewoonlik dat daar 'n eiesoortige wêreld van ervaring en denke vir die dowe is anders as die van die horende, maar begrip vir die omvang van die andersheid van die dowe ontbreek.

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Afrikaans text / Alhoewel daar al vorige navorsing oor die dowe of hardhorende kind gedoen is, handel dit meestal oor die vroee identifisering van die kind se gehoorverlies,sy/haar plasingsmoontlikhede, en kommunikasie,asook die hantering van die kind met gehoorverlies binne die skoolopset. Die meeste beskikbare literatuur wat handel oor riglyne by die hantering van die dowe of hardhorende kind binne die gesinsopset, is verouderd. Hierdie studie is 'n fenomenologiese navorsingstudie. Uit die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is verskeie temas geidentifiseer wat betrekking het op die hantering van die dowe of hardhorende kind in die gesin. Praktiese riglyne is vir ouers daargestel ten op sigte van die dowe of hardhorende kind se kommunikasie, gesinslewe,die skool, asook sy/haar emosionele en sosiale funksionering. / Although previous research has been done abouth the hard-hearing child, most of the available research concentrates on early identification of hearing lost, placement and communication as well as to cope with hearing loss within the school environment. The majority of the literature which is currently available concerning guidelines for the deaf or hard-hearing children within the family group, is outdated. A phenomenological study has been done. By means of semi-structured interviews practical guidelines have been collected. Several themes were identified in the course of these interviews, namely: communication by the child with hearing loss, the effect of the hearing loss on the family members, the impact of hearing loss in the school environment and the implications of hearing loss on the child's emotional and social functioning. Guidelines were suggested for the practical management of deaf and hard-hearing children concerning communication, family life, scool and emotional and social functioning. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Afrikaans text / Alhoewel daar al vorige navorsing oor die dowe of hardhorende kind gedoen is, handel dit meestal oor die vroee identifisering van die kind se gehoorverlies,sy/haar plasingsmoontlikhede, en kommunikasie,asook die hantering van die kind met gehoorverlies binne die skoolopset. Die meeste beskikbare literatuur wat handel oor riglyne by die hantering van die dowe of hardhorende kind binne die gesinsopset, is verouderd. Hierdie studie is 'n fenomenologiese navorsingstudie. Uit die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is verskeie temas geidentifiseer wat betrekking het op die hantering van die dowe of hardhorende kind in die gesin. Praktiese riglyne is vir ouers daargestel ten op sigte van die dowe of hardhorende kind se kommunikasie, gesinslewe,die skool, asook sy/haar emosionele en sosiale funksionering. / Although previous research has been done abouth the hard-hearing child, most of the available research concentrates on early identification of hearing lost, placement and communication as well as to cope with hearing loss within the school environment. The majority of the literature which is currently available concerning guidelines for the deaf or hard-hearing children within the family group, is outdated. A phenomenological study has been done. By means of semi-structured interviews practical guidelines have been collected. Several themes were identified in the course of these interviews, namely: communication by the child with hearing loss, the effect of the hearing loss on the family members, the impact of hearing loss in the school environment and the implications of hearing loss on the child's emotional and social functioning. Guidelines were suggested for the practical management of deaf and hard-hearing children concerning communication, family life, scool and emotional and social functioning. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

South Africa has a dearth of deaf appropriate assistive resources – giving rise to deaf adolescents leaving school early and poor adult outcomes. These factors are negatively influenced by the interaction of other elements such as the inadequate cultural and social nurturing and lack of support. Approached from a bio-ecological model, to pro-actively address the support needed by deaf and hard-of-hearing persons to empower them to develop the capacity to withstand the challenges they have to endure, to stand up to and resist the negative ideas about what they are capable of. In this study, major risk factors were identified as communication deprivation and unpreparedness of parents to raise a deaf child appropriately where mediating factors were identified as social-emotional competence and deaf teaching assistants at South African Schools for the Deaf. The main findings of this study were that the need for early training of parents, access to Sign Language, deaf role models and social-emotional training in SA schools for the Deaf are proposed pathways to well-being. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)