The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) is likely to become the most widely used test of intelligence with deaf children, based on the popularity of the previous versions of the test. Because the test was constructed for hearing children who use spoken English, the following major research questions were asked: (a) Does the WISC-III demonstrate adequate construct validity? and (b) Do specific items exhibit differential item functioning (DIF), and does the nature of the content of each item that exhibits DIF imply that the item is biased? The test was translated into sign language and administered to a total of 110 deaf children at three different sites. The deaf children ranged from ages 8 through 16 (M = 13.25, SD = 2.37), had hearing losses identified as severe or worse, were prelingually deaf, used sign language as their primary means of communication, and were not identified as having any additional handicapping conditions. The sample of deaf children was compared to a sample of 110 hearing children similar in age and Performance IQ. Construct validity was examined using a LISREL multi-sample covariance structure analysis. The covariance structures were different (χ ² (91) = 119.42, p =.024). A Rasch Model was used to detect DIF on the following subtests: Picture Completion, Information, Similarities, Arithmetic, Vocabulary, Comprehension. All of these subtests exhibited DIF, and DIF plus the differences in mean logit ability resulted in numerous items that were more difficult for deaf children on the above Verbal subtests. Item bias was judged by examining the contents of items that exhibited DIF. Items were biased due generally to translation issues and differences in the educational curricula. Thus, deaf children are at a distinct disadvantage when taking these WISC-III subtests. Practitioners are urged to consider these findings when assessing deaf children.

No description available.

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Audiology in the faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, January 2017 / Background: The benefits of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) services on communication, cognition and socio-emotional development, including academic and vocational outcomes are well documented internationally. However, reports on EHDI services in South Africa are limited to the establishment of programmes for early detection of hearing impairments, with little focus on the outcomes of the subsequent early intervention (EI) for children diagnosed with a hearing impairment. Objective: This study explored the outcomes of two EI preschool programmes in the Gauteng province, South Africa. The current study aimed at describing the communication and school readiness abilities of hearing-impaired children who were enrolled in the EI preschool programmes, as well as to determine the factors that influenced the attainment of school readiness abilities. Methods: A descriptive research study was conducted on eight hearing-impaired children who graduated from two EI preschool programmes in the Gauteng Province. Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data while frequency distribution and measures of central tendency were used to analyse the quantitative data. Results: Participants were late-identified with subsequent late provision of amplification devices and commencement of EI services. Consequently, participants demonstrated sub-optimal communication and school readiness abilities for their age. Early access to EHDI services and age-appropriate communication abilities were identified as factors that influenced the attainment of age-appropriate school readiness abilities for children with a hearing impairment. Conclusion: There is a great need for the establishment of more EI programmes that will meet the unique needs of hearing-impaired children in different contexts and ensure that they also have an opportunity to develop on par with their peers with normal hearing. Further research in this area needs to be undertaken exploring similar objectives to the current study with a larger, diverse sample for improved generalisability of the findings. / XL2018

A research report in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Audiology by coursework and research report in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / Auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) is an intervention approach used as part of an aural (re)habilitation programme conducted by an audiologist with deaf or hard-of-hearing (HOH) children. AVT is a refinement of the oral-aural approach and emphasizes listening instead of visual input. Previous research has focused on AVT in developed countries; however, there is limited available research in developing countries such as South Africa. This study explores and describes the relevance of AVT provided by audiologists in Gauteng, South Africa. The specific objectives of the study were to explore the differences between AVT and general paediatric aural rehabilitation therapies conducted by audiologists; the impact of language on the implementation of AVT and the challenges associated with AVT training. A qualitative research design was used. A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify and recruit participants. Ten audiologists currently conducting aural rehabilitation were selected to participate in the study. The sample size was divided into five audiologists who had obtained the LSL certification (equivalent to AVT certification) and five audiologists without the LSL certification. A pilot study was conducted prior to data collection to determine the applicability of the research study. Thereafter semi-structured interviews were conducted, using an interview schedule. Thematic analysis was employed and themes were described qualitatively. Results revealed the emergence of three resounding themes which included challenges, differences in therapy approaches, and implementation and contributing factors to the success of AVT. The results concluded the need for the implementation of newborn hearing screening programmes to assist with early identification and detection of hearing loss. The study identifies a strong need for the increase in the number of certified LSL therapists in South Africa and additional AVT comprehensive programmes to be implemented at various institutions in Gauteng. Awareness regarding the success of AVT implementation needs to be raised. Finally, the HPCSA needs to revisit and explicitly define the role of audiologists interacting with deaf or HOH children with the LSL qualification being a mandatory postgraduate pre-requisite for working in the field of aural rehabilitation. Key words: Auditory-verbal therapy; aural rehabilitation; deaf; hard-of-hearing. / GR2017

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaves 185-192. / by Marcia Ann Bush. / Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Iowa, 2006. / Supervisor: J. Bruce Tomblin. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-129).

This thesis presents an ethnographic action research study of Deaf and hearing parents and infants participating in a family American Sign Language (ASL) literacy program in Ontario. The thesis documents the context for parents and children’s learning of ASL in an environment where resources for supporting early ASL literacy have been scarce. At the time of the study, restrictions were placed on young Deaf and hard of hearing children’s learning of ASL, as the Ontario government’s Infant Hearing Program frequently did not provide ASL services to children who received cochlear implants or auditory-verbal therapy. This operational language policy of Ontario infant hearing screening and early intervention services was maintained despite evidence for the benefits that learning ASL confers on spoken and written language development in Deaf children. In this context, participation in a family ASL literacy program is a means for both supporting emerging ASL literacy in young children and resisting pathologizing Discourses (Gee, 2008) regarding signed language and Deaf identity. Through semi-structured interviews and observations of six individual families or parent-child dyads, the study documents participants’ encounters with gatekeepers who regulate Deaf children and their families’ access to ASL. At the same time, the setting of the ASL Parent-Child Mother Goose Program is presented as a Deaf cultural space and thereby a counter-Discourse to medical Discourses regarding Deaf identity and bilingualism. This space features the Deaf mother participants’ ASL literacy and numeracy practices and improvisations of ASL rhymes and stories to enhance their suitability for young children. The practices of the ASL Parent-Child Mother Goose Program leader also serve to define and support emergent ASL literacy in young children. In addition, a Deaf cultural space inside a broader context of public services to young Deaf children provides a means for the hearing mother participants to facilitate critical inquiry of issues surrounding bilingualism, ASL, and a Deaf identity. Collectively, the findings from this study highlight the benefits of emergent ASL literacy in Deaf children and their families, and provide an evidence-based rationale for Canadian governments and government agencies to better support this development.

This thesis presents an ethnographic action research study of Deaf and hearing parents and infants participating in a family American Sign Language (ASL) literacy program in Ontario. The thesis documents the context for parents and children’s learning of ASL in an environment where resources for supporting early ASL literacy have been scarce. At the time of the study, restrictions were placed on young Deaf and hard of hearing children’s learning of ASL, as the Ontario government’s Infant Hearing Program frequently did not provide ASL services to children who received cochlear implants or auditory-verbal therapy. This operational language policy of Ontario infant hearing screening and early intervention services was maintained despite evidence for the benefits that learning ASL confers on spoken and written language development in Deaf children. In this context, participation in a family ASL literacy program is a means for both supporting emerging ASL literacy in young children and resisting pathologizing Discourses (Gee, 2008) regarding signed language and Deaf identity. Through semi-structured interviews and observations of six individual families or parent-child dyads, the study documents participants’ encounters with gatekeepers who regulate Deaf children and their families’ access to ASL. At the same time, the setting of the ASL Parent-Child Mother Goose Program is presented as a Deaf cultural space and thereby a counter-Discourse to medical Discourses regarding Deaf identity and bilingualism. This space features the Deaf mother participants’ ASL literacy and numeracy practices and improvisations of ASL rhymes and stories to enhance their suitability for young children. The practices of the ASL Parent-Child Mother Goose Program leader also serve to define and support emergent ASL literacy in young children. In addition, a Deaf cultural space inside a broader context of public services to young Deaf children provides a means for the hearing mother participants to facilitate critical inquiry of issues surrounding bilingualism, ASL, and a Deaf identity. Collectively, the findings from this study highlight the benefits of emergent ASL literacy in Deaf children and their families, and provide an evidence-based rationale for Canadian governments and government agencies to better support this development.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract of dissertation entitled Tone Perception Performance of Cantonese-speaking Prelingually Deaf Children with Cochlear Implants submitted by Angela On-Chi Wong for the degree of Master of Sciences in Audiology at the University of Hong Kong in May 2000 The present study was a preliminary investigation on the tone perception performance of pre lingually hearing-impaired children with cochlear implant. Seventeen native Cantonese-speaking participants were invited in this research. They have been using the Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant with coding strategy of either SPEAK or ACE. Errors from the tone discrimination and the tone identification tests were examined and a tone confusion matrix was plotted. Results revealed that the correct scores for both discrimination and identification tests were slightly above chance levels, indicating that prelingually hearing-impaired children using cochlear implants were able to benefit from SPEAK or ACE strategies for Cantonese tone perception, though the benefit was small. Tonal error and confusion patterns were discussed and some contributing possibilities were suggested. Relationships between tone perception VII performance and other variables such as age at implantation, duration of implantation, frequency of training and overall auditory performance were also examined. The paper also discussed other possibilities that may contribute to tone confusion. VIII / abstract / toc / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Science in Audiology