This study was an investigation of the relationship between the self-concepts of hearing-impaired children and the self-concepts of normal hearing children. Sixty-four hearing-impaired children and nineteen normal hearing children were given the Primary Self- Concept Inventory, the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and were rated by a teacher using the Bristol Social Adjustment Guide. The differences between means were analyzed and tested for significance. It was concluded that there is no difference between the self concept of the hearing-impaired child and the self-concept of the normal hearing child. It was further concluded that the instruments currently available for measuring self-concept are poor and inadequate. Further research on the self-concept of the hearing impaired child was recommended.

The purposes involved in this paper are stated as follows: (1) To present data on the intellectual development of the deaf and hard of hearing children. (2) To present case studies of the deaf and hard of hearing children. (3) To present data bearing on the relationship between audio-deficiency and academic achievements of the deaf and the hard of hearing children. (4) To present data on personality traits of a comparable group of hard of hearing and normal children.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deaf learners are unique and require special support and assistance. It is apparent in the literature that deaf learners are more exposed to both physical and sexual abuse. The consequences of the latter can lead to emotional problems, for example, enuresis, anxiety disorders, depression, panic attacks, anger outbursts and attention deficits. One of the biggest challenges in the life of deaf learners must surely be communication. Misunderstandings and subsequent frustrations that ensue, normally occur as a result of communication difficulties between deaf learners and the hearing person. From the literature it appears necessary to stimulate the deaf learner's language development as early as possible, as it impacts on several aspects of his/her maturation into adulthood. Communication difficulties can also influence the emotional development of deaf learners. Therapeutic support for deaf learners are a challenge. The therapist that works with the learners should ideally be able to sign. The young deaf learners do, however, not yet have a signing system and consequently communication is problematic. The learners themselves experience frustrations as he/she is not able to express his/her emotions. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of developmental play therapy as a psychotherapeutic technique for the treatment of emotional problems in young deaf learners. To some degree, the technique makes it possible for verbal communication between therapist and learners to be replaced by physical contact. The aim of the activities is to take learners back to the early mother-child relationship and for the therapist to model healthy relationships. The research undertaken here is a qualitative case study. It was approached from an eco-systemic perspective, in other words learners are viewed as the core system which, in turn, is part of several other systems for example the family, school, church, community, etc. The systems are interdependent, which means that change in the one system also results in change within the other systems. In the data production video recordings, unstructured interviews, observations and field notes were used. Data analysis was done using the principles of coding. The results of the study show that developmental play therapy is indeed an effective psychotherapeutic technique in the treatment of emotional problems in young deaf learners. It would appear that the technique requires adaptation for deaf learners needs in order to be effective. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dowe leerders is uniek en het spesiale ondersteuning nodig. Uit die literatuur wil dit blyk of dowe leerders meer blootgestel word aan beide fisiese en seksuele mishandeling. Die gevolge van laasgenoemde kan lei tot meer emosionele probleme, byvoorbeeld enurese, angsversteurings, depressie, paniekaanvalle, woedeuitbarstings en aandagafleibaarheid. Een van die grootste uitdagings in dowe leerders se lewe is seker kommunikasie. Misverstande en frustrasies wat daaruit vloei, ontstaan gewoonlik as gevolg van kommunikasieprobieme tussen dowe leerders en die horende persoon. Uit die literatuur blyk dit noodsaaklik om dowe leerders se taalontwikkeling so vroeg as moontlik te stimuleer aangesien dit verskeie aspekte in sy/haar volwassewordingsproses beïnvloed. Kommunikasieprobleme het ook 'n invloed op dowe leerders se emosionele ontwikkeling. Terapeutiese ondersteuning van dowe leerders is 'n uitdaging. Die terapeut wat met die leerders werk, moet verkieslik gebaretaal kan praat. Die jong dowe leerders het egter nog nie werklik 'n gebaresisteem nie en gevolglik is kommunikasie 'n probleem. Die leerders self ervaar frustrasies, omdat hy/sy nie die vermoê het om uiting te gee aan sy/haar emosies nie. Die doel met hierdie studie was om die moontlikheid van ontwikkelende speelterapie as psigoterapeutiese tegniek in die hantering van emosionele probleme by jong dowe leerders te ondersoek. Die tegniek maak dit in 'n mate moontlik om die verbale kommunikasie tussen terapeut en leerders te vervang met fisiese kontak. Die doel met die aktiwiteite is om die leerders terug te neem na die vroeê moeder - kindverhouding en gesonde verhoudings deur die terapeut te modelleer. Die navorsing neem die vorm van 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie aan. Dit word benader vanuit 'n ekosistemiese perspektief, dit wil sê die leerders word gesien as die kernsisteem wat deel is van verskeie ander sisteme soos byvoorbeeld die familie, skool, kerk en gemeenskap. Die sisteme is interafhanklik wat beteken dat verandering in die een sisteem ook verandering in die ander sisteme tot gevolg het. In die data-produksie is tegnieke naamlik video-opnames, ongestruktureerde onderhoude, observasies en veldnotas gebruik. Data-analise is volgens die beginsels van kodering gedoen. Die resultate van die onderhewige studie wys daarop dat ontwikkelende speelterapie wel In effektiewe psigoterapeutiese tegniek is in die hantering van emosionele probleme by jong dowe leerders. Dit wil voorkom of die tegniek aangepas moet word by dowe leerders se behoeftes om werklik effektief te wees.