Die hoofdoelstelling van die navorsing was om die ontwikkelende sosialisering van adolessente met ernstige gehoorverlies met hul normaalhorende portuur te begryp en te beskryf. Die navorsingsvraag was, Hoe ontwikkel die adolessent met ernstige gehoorverlies sosiale verhoudings met sy/haar normaal horende portuurgroep? ‘n Ondersoek na vier adolessente met ernstige gehoorverlies is gedoen, om hul interaksiesituasie met hul horende portuurgroep beter te begryp. Die studie het ‘n meervoudige gevallestudie-ontwerp gevolg vanuit die postmoderne interpretiwistiese perspektief. Bronfenbrenner se bio-ekologiese sisteemteorie is benut as die teoretiese basis vir die studie, ten einde die totale konteks van die adolessent met gehoorverlies te begryp. Die deelnemers is volgens die maksimum variasiebeginsel gekies en die data is met behulp van kwalitatiewe metodes, naamlik observasies en onderhoude, ingesamel. Die analiseproses het uit gerigte tematiese analise en analitiese vergelyking bestaan. Die resultate het getoon dat interaksie tussen adolessente met gehoorverlies en hul normaal horende portuur suksesvol kan geskied, maar dat dit met bepaalde hindernisse (soos oningeligtheid en onsekerheid omtrent die gehoorverlies) gepaard gaan en van beide partye word aanpassings geverg. Individuele bates van die adolessent met gehoorverlies moet ook benut word en uitgebou word om die minder sterk punte te ondersteun. Die adolessent met gehoorverlies se spraak (artikulasie) en spraakleesvermoë is van kernbelang ten einde deur die horende gemeenskap verstaan te word, asook om hulle te verstaan. Gereelde deurlopende blootstelling aan die horende gemeenskap wat deur die ouers gefasiliteer word, blyk die sleutel te wees tot suksesvolle interaksie en integrasie in die breë gemeenskap. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main purpose of the study was to understand and describe the developing socialization of adolescents with severe hearing loss with their normally hearing peers. The central research question was, How does the adolescent with severe hearing loss develop social relationships with his/her normally hearing peers? The research was conducted with four adolescents with severe hearing loss, better to understand their interactive situation with their normally hearing peers. The research took the form of a multiple case study design, conducted from the postmodern interpretive perspective. Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory formed the theoretical basis of the study, to understand the full context of the adolescent with hearing loss. Participants were selected in accordance with the maximum variation sampling principle. Data were collected by qualitative methods, namely observations and interviews. The data analysis consisted of focussed thematic analysis and analytical comparison. The results showed that interaction between adolescents with hearing loss and their normally hearing peers can be successful, but it is accompanied by certain challenges such as a lack of information and uncertainty about the hearing loss and adaptations are required from both parties. The individual assets of die adolescent with hearing loss should be utilised and developed to support the weaker characteristics. The speech- and speech reading skills of the adolescent with hearing loss are of the utmost importance to be understood by the hearing community as well as to understand them. Continual exposure to the hearing community, facilitated by the parents, appears to be key to the successful interaction and integration into the broader community. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted