No description available.

No description available.

The SRA-10 is a tactile instrument which provides hearing impaired subjects with acoustic transforms that can be easily discriminated on the skin. Whether or not the SRA-10 is an effective means of training speech-language skills in profoundly hearing impaired subjects was the focus of this investigation. Two profoundly hearing impaired subjects were trained on phonetic reception/production tasks and on discrimination of multisyllabic words. Each subject served as his own control, wearing the SRA-10 for 14, 30 minute sessions, and a Bioacoustics 70-B auditory training unit for the same period of time. Results indicated a greater correct performance gain function with the SRA-10 than with the 70-B, suggesting that speech perception/production training using the SRA-10 or similar device would be superior to training using acoustic amplification.

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 purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the quantity of adult language input on their deaf and hard-of-hearing preschool children and to explore the effects, if any, on the child’s quantity of language, vocabulary development, and basic concept understanding. Using audio recording and the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) software, the study involved 30 preschool children with hearing loss who used spoken language as their communication modality and 7 children with normal hearing. Their language and the language spoken to them in all waking-hours of a two-day period (16 hours per day) were recorded and analyzed quantitatively as adult word counts (AWC), child vocalizations (CVC), and conversational turns (CTC). These components were compared to the child’s performance on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (BTBC-3) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4) to investigate if the quantity of language input had an effect on the child’s usage of vocabulary and basic concepts. Correlations were found between the amount of adult words, child vocalizations, and conversational turns across weekends and weekdays, but not on BTBC-3 or PPVT-4 scores. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between adult word counts and child vocalizations as a function of the child’s hearing loss, indicating parents of deaf or hard-of-hearing children are using as many words with their children as parents of children with normal hearing. Additionally, scores on the BTBC-3 and PPVT-4 were correlated with each other, but there wasn’t a statistically significant difference between the mean scores for children with normal hearing and the children with hearing loss, indicating both groups scored similarly on the assessment. Results from this study suggest the language used around children impacts their language use and the amount of interactions they have in their environment. This is significant because it identifies the influence of the quantity of adult language input on the child’s language development.

This study, which utilized a mixed methods approach, is the first research study in Ukraine which explored the experiences of parents raising deaf or hard of hearing children. The outcome of the study includes a documented analysis and synthesis of the perceptions held by Ukrainian-hearing parents raising young deaf or hard of hearing children regarding the emotional and communicational impact of the diagnosis on their family functioning, their perceptions of existing services and/or programs, and their perceptions of the relationships with professionals. Three hundred and twenty-five families whose young children were enrolled in grade 0/1 in 48 residential schools for children with hearing loss across the country were sampled in a survey of the study and 17 families from among this number volunteered for follow-up interviews. The emotional impact of the diagnosis on the parents and other family members as well as such factors as communication mode, availability and accessibility of professional services, access to information on deafness, and educational choices were explored along with demographic and other characteristics. Parental thoughts and views in this study were consistent with international perspectives of parents that are documented in the literature: the need for informational support, guidelines and communication options for families were seen to be key factors. The responses of the participants of this study confirmed that greater access to educational options, support for overcoming stress and improving emotional well-being, as well as support for families in establishing healthy family interactions and empowering parents were among their most important requirements. Additionally, the findings of this study, stress the importance of focusing on family resources and family appraisal as key factors in the hearing family adaptation process to having children who are deaf or hard of hearing. / Special Education

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2006. / Title from title screen (viewed 19 Dec. 2006). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences. Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-203).

Thesis (M. Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.