Grant: Operating Grant

Permanent hearing loss is one of the most common childhood disorders and interferes with the typical acquisition of speech and language and influences academic, social, and quality of life outcomes. Several Canadian provinces and much of the world have implemented universal newborn hearing screening programs to identify hearing loss early so that children have a better start in life. About 30 to 40% of the children who may be identified through screening present with mild bilateral or unilateral hearing loss (one ear). Prior to screening, the majority of these children were not identified until 4 to 6 years of age. While studies have shown that late-identified hearing loss affects these children's behavior and abilities in school, the impact of hearing loss when it is identified very early in life is less clear. Therefore, there is considerable uncertainty amongst practitioners about the best ways to help children and their families. This study will follow a group of early identified children over several years to identify the difficulties they are experiencing compared to a group of children with normal hearing. The study will measure children's progress in several areas and interview parents to elicit their perspective of their child's development. In addition, we will examine the factors that may predict which children will have difficulty. We will also try to determine what supports families need to care for their child with hearing loss in the early years. This study will provide useful information for decision-making regarding the severity of hearing loss that should be targeted in newborn hearing screening programs and the interventions that might be appropriate for children with mild and unilateral hearing loss.