Thesis (M. Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Aud.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-75). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Orientador: Ana Claudia Moreira Almeida-Verdu / Coorientador: Maria Cecília Bevilácqua / Coorientador: Maria José Monteiro Benjamin Buffa / Banca: Adriane Lima Mortari Moret / Banca: Alessandra T. Bolsoni Silva / Resumo: A Psicologia, mais precisamente, a Análise do Comportamento tem demonstrado preocupação em desenvolver tecnologias de ensino que possibilitem de maneira autônoma e eficiente a aprendizagem de sujeitos com ou sem necessidades especiais de ensino. As condições para aprendizagem dos conteúdos escolares por parte do aluno com deficiência auditiva têm se mostrado ineficientes. Assim, um estudo que, partindo de um modelo de análise e descrição de repertórios verbais (ler, escrever, ouvir e falar) que busque avaliar precisamente esses desempenhos em indivíduos com deficiência auditiva pode ser relevante. Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar envolvidos em leitura e em escrita em crianças com deficiência auditiva nas séries iniciais do ensino fundamental, visando detectar as potencialidades e necessidades desses alunos em relação à compreensão de palavras da Língua Portuguesa. Participaram deste estudo vinte crianças, com idades entre seis e 12 anos sendo 12 delas usuárias de implante coclear e oito usuários de AASI. O diagnóstico foi realizado pelo ProLeitR, um software de avaliação e de ensino de leitura composto por três tipos de tarefas: seleção, composição e vocalização. As tarefas de avaliação foram apresentadas em blocos constituídos de 15 a 18 tentativas que avaliaram diferentes relações envolvidas na leitura e na escrita. A avaliação foi realizada em três sessões com duração média de vinte minutos cada. As relações apresentadas foram: de identidade que envolvia as relações figura/figura (BB) e palavra impressa/palavra impressa (CC); de nomeação, composto por nomeação de figura (BD), palavra, sílaba ou vogal (CD); de ditado, composto por palavra ditada/letra manuscrita (AF) e palavra ditada/composição (AE); de cópia de palavra impressa por letra manuscrita (CF) e de palavra... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Psychology, more precisely, the Behavior Analysis has shown concern in developing learning technologies to enable autonomous and efficient way of learning subjects with or without special educational needs. The conditions for learning of the school curriculum by students with hearing loss have been shown to be inefficient. Thus, a study, based on a model of analysis and description of verbal repertoires (reading, writing, listening an speaking) that seeks to accurately assess performance in these individuals with hearing loss may be relevant. This study aimed to characterize the performances involved in reading and writing in children with hearing loss in the first grades of elementary school, aiming to detect the strengths and needs of these students in relation to the understanding of words of Portuguese. This study ioncluded twenty children aged between six and 12 years, 12 of them using cochlear implants and eight users of hearing aids. The diagnosis was made by ProgLeitR, a software evalution and teaching of reading consists of three types of tasks: selection, composition and vocalization. The assessment tasks were presented in blocks consisting of 15 to 18 trials that assessed different relationships involved in reading and writing. The evaluation was conducted in three sessions lasting and average of twenty minutes each. The relations were presented: identity involving relations figure/figure (BB) and the printed word/written word (CC); appointment, made bu nominations of the figure (BD), word, syllable or vowel (CD); dictation composed of words dictated/handwriting (AF) and dictated word/composition (AE) copy the printed word for handwriting (CF) and the printed word by composition (CE) and selection with dectated word/figure (AB), dictated word/written word (AC), figure/printed word (BC) and the... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

This thesis deals with the attitudes of primary school pupils to integrate pupils with hearing disabilities. The aim was to highlight the current attitudes of pupils towards intact peers with hearing disabilities and evaluation of attitudes towards peers in the educational environment. In the theoretical part I defined the basic concepts and describe the differences. In the practical part, I described research the hearing-impaired student. The research was conducted in the fourth grade in elementary school Pod Marjánkou, where I examined the position of hearing-impaired individuals in the classroom.

Thesis (MTech(Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 / When a child enters formal education a certain level of development and experience is expected. If there is a language deficit or shortfall upon entering formal schooling, a negative perception of schooling can develop, resulting in a low level of success in the classroom. Research has clearly shown that learners with a hearing deficit, and who received very little stimulation at an early age, tended to develop a language deficit which hampered their entrance into, as well as their performance in mainstream education. The ideal is thus that a child should experience success in the learning process at the earliest possible stage. Hereupon he can develop and realise his full potential as a human being. Children who experience early success should be more capable of coping with the challenges that schooling and learning present. If these learners receive early intervention to support their language development it could lead to being more successful in mainstream education. Learners with a cochlear implant must receive intensive hearing and communicative training. They are taught how to effectively interpret the sound relayed by the implant, and thereafter, if possible, be able to use this "hearing ability" to enter into interactive spoken language. Motivation and support from parents, family and friends is a determining factor in the successful use of the implant. This should lead to a learner being able to reach his full potential. From the research conducted it has become evident that the language deficit retrogression of the child leads to under-achievement when formal schooling begins.This is because of different hearing difficulties. However, if such a pre-school child is assisted and supported at an early stage through effective intervention strategies, language deficit can be decreased or even completely cured. In this study a learner who had received a cochlear implant, was closely observed. A significant improvement in his language ability was evinced. The action research study was an individualised teaching and learning situation with a learner who had a cochlear implant and with a language deficit. Over a period of 19 months different intervention strategies were used to improve the learner's language ability. The intervention strategies which were successful can be used as a possible point of departure for further research and study to give educators and parents a better insight into this problem. Through intensive research these findings can be developed as a possible support system or methodolgy for educators in the inclusive classroom.

A instituição de uma Política Nacional de Atenção à Saúde Auditiva foi necessária para que fossem englobadas diferentes ações na assistência à saúde auditiva dos indivíduos deficientes auditivos - não mais somente o fornecimento do AASI envolvendo um trabalho de acompanhamento do uso desses equipamentos (avaliação do benefício e satisfação) e, quando necessário, a terapia fonoaudiológica. A monitoração dos resultados da adaptação dos AASI deve ser feita durante todo o processo de reabilitação auditiva, garantindo melhores resultados, além de demonstrar que o tratamento é eficaz para os usuários do Sistema único de Saúde (SUS). Objetivo: Descrever o benefício obtido e a satisfação dos usuários de Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora Individual (AASI), adaptados por uma instituição credenciada pelo SUS. Método: Para avaliar o beneficio do AASI e a satisfação do usuário em relação à amplificação, foram aplicados, respectivamente, os questionários de auto-avaliação Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) e International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), em conjunto com a rotina de acompanhamento clínico dos pacientes após 4 meses de adaptação dos AASIs. Resultados: Cinqüenta e três (53) pacientes retornaram para completar a avaliação após 4 meses de adaptação, sendo que 43 faziam uso efetivo do AASI. Destes indivíduos, 38 (88%) tiveram benefício com o AASI e a grande maioria estava satisfeita com a amplificação. Dos 47 indivíduos que não retornaram para acompanhamento, 12 não estavam fazendo uso do dispositivo, principalmente devido ao desconforto auditivo. Conclusão: Os indivíduos atendidos pelo SUS podem ter benefício e satisfação com os AASIs adaptados, mas o acompanhamento deve ser feito, para que sejam definidas as necessidades dos pacientes, garantindo a adesão ao tratamento completo. / Instituting a National Policy of Hearing Care was necessary to encompass different actions related to the hearing health of hearing impaired individuals - not anymore just supplying Hearing Aids (HAs) - involving a follow-up work of the use of those equipments (benefit and satisfaction evaluation) and, when necessary, speech therapy. Monitoring the results of adaptation to HAs must be performed during all the aural rehabilitation process, ensuring better results and showing that the treatment is effective for users of the Brazilian Unified Health System - SUS. Objective: To describe the benefit obtained and the satisfaction of users of HAs adapted by an institution accredited to SUS. Method: The Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) questionnaire and the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) were used, respectively, to evaluate the HAs benefits and the user satisfaction towards the amplification, together with the routine clinical followup of patients after 4 months of adaptation to the HAs. Results: Fifty three (53) patients returned to complete the evaluation after a 4-month adaptation period, 43 of whom had effectively used HAs. Of these individuals, 38 (88%) had got benefits from the HAs, and most of them was satisfied with the amplification. Of the 47 individuals who did not return for follow-up, 12 were not using the device, mostly due to hearing discomfort. Conclusion: The individuals treated at SUS can be benefited from and be satisfied with the adapted HAs, but the follow-up must be performed to define the patients' needs, ensuring the adhesion to the complete treatment.

M.A. / The study presents a narrative exploration of the potential offered by SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving as a therapeutic wilderness adventure context bridging Deaf and hearing experiences. It is structured as an emerging narrative in three parts. Part I explores the philosophical and theoretical literature with a view to providing an overview of the epistemological frameworks against which the study is presented and which could result in a sense of tension between modern/post modern discourses within the reader/author. Part II reviews the current literature pertaining to: Deafness and Deaf/hearing relations, contrasting the medical-pathological perspective of Deafness with a socio-cultural model and examining perceptions regarding the development of a Deaf cultural identity, the articulation of meaning and culturally affirmative proposals with regard to the integration of Deaf and hearing experiences; adventure, wilderness programmes and practices as agents of therapeutic change with particular reference to the Deaf and other disabled communities; and the potential application of SCUBA diving and the underwater environment as metaphorically different agents of therapeutic change and particularly as they relate to Deaf/hearing relations. Part III attempts to provide a multi-levelled dialogical space for the voices of Deaf and hearing participants in the study to emerge and reflect on their lived experiences of their participation in a SCUBA diver course and its potential impact on lived experiences and personal narratives and metaphors. The study is written as a post modern text and explores Bakhtin’s (1973) theories of dialogism as a basis for presenting a polyphonic text.

M. Ed. / By virtue of the nature of the affliction, the auditory world of Chronic Otitis Media (COM) children is likely to be one of frequent insecurity and confusion. Fluctuations of volume, tone and clarity of sound must be very unsettling for young language learners. If the significant others in their lives are not fully informed about the nature, effects and potential impact of the illness on the developmental processes of the sufferer, then psychological, social and scholastic manifestations of the inevitable inner confusion will probably result:In South Africa today, fewer professional resources are available to meet the needs of a greater number of people. One creative solution to this problem could be the growing trend away from a predominantly one-to-one approach towards a consultative function for Educational Psychologists, with relevant psychometric and therapeutic intervention. With this in mind, the purpose of this study is to explore and illuminate the experiential world of the school beginner who suffers from COM to parents and teachers alike. With the growing emphasis on the integrated, whole language approach to teaching and learning in many South African schools, the focus of this study is on how the school beginner with chronic Otitis Media experiences his new learner status. The initial aim of the exercise is to expose this experience and examine it within the context of sound theory. Further, the study is intended to be the first, small step in a process intended ultimately to benefit the wider population of COM afflicted learners by raising new awareness and understanding of their special needs in their teachers. The theoretical foundation that undergirds this study incorporates a multidisciplinary review of the literature encompassing the anatomical structure of the ear, the mechanical, physiological and neuro-sensori process of sound reception and processing (which constitutes hearing), and the normal, integrated developmental stages of the infant. This foundation is established with the aim of providing support and structure for the research questions posed. The nature of the research problem under investigation dictates the type of research design used. The Case Study was sek licted as possessing the most appropriate characteristics and methods of data collection for the planned research process. The samples selected for the study complied with specified criteria relating to the onset, intensity and chronicity of Otitis Media experienced during infa ncy. Cases were to be six to seven years of age and in the beginning stages of their formal learning process. The study falls within the qualitative research paradigm and is presented as a description and discussion of the experiential world of the school beginner with chronic Otitis Media. Where `appropriate, a tentative explanation of outcomes is given and a behavioural profile compiled for discussion with teachers, and with further exploration in mind at some future time

This c-level essay examines how deaf and hearing impaired individuals use smartphones to live and communicate in a “hearing world”. The main target is to find some understanding of the struggles of this population and smartphones have made it easier to adapt to the hearing worlds’ demands with the applications that follow. To acquire the information for this essay, representatives from both the deaf and hearing impaired communities were interviewed. The findings of this qualitative study show that there are many applications that have advantages to aid the lives of deaf and hearing impaired. These include WhatsApp, Tango and many others. All of the respondents appreciated the new technology but also said that there is work to be done in that area. Especially the poor quality of the video calls is not satisfactory to the users using sign language.

Modifications to speech production made by adult talkers in response to instructions to speak clearly have been well documented in the literature. Targeting adult populations has been motivated by efforts to improve speech production for the benefit of the communication partners, however, many adults also have communication partners who are children. Surprisingly, there is limited literature on whether children can change their speech production when cued to speak clearly. Pettinato, Tuomainen, Granlund, and Hazan (2016) showed that by age 12, children exhibited enlarged vowel space areas and reduced articulation rate when prompted to speak clearly, but did not produce any other adult-like clear speech modifications in connected speech. Moreover, Syrett and Kawahara (2013) suggested that preschoolers produced longer and more intense vowels when prompted to speak clearly at the word level. These findings contrasted with adult talkers who show significant temporal and spectral differences between speech produced in control and clear speech conditions. Therefore, it was the purpose of this study to analyze changes in temporal and spectral characteristics of speech production that children aged 6-10 made in these experimental conditions. It is important to elucidate the clear speech profile of this population to better understand which adult-like clear speech modifications they make spontaneously and which modifications are still developing. Understanding these baselines will advance future studies that measure the impact of more explicit instructions and children's abilities to better accommodate their interlocutors, which is a critical component of children’s pragmatic and speech-motor development.