Hearing impairment detection and intervention in children from centre-based early intervention programmes

Abstract

The study aimed to describe ages at identification and initiation of early intervention (EI) services for children enrolled in centre-based EI programmes in Gauteng, as well as to describe the nature of EI services that the children received. The researchers conducted retrospective record reviews of the EI programme files. In addition, caregivers of eight children identified with hearing impairments and enrolled in centre-based EI programmes in Gauteng completed a newly constructed questionnaire. The caregiver questionnaire produced data pertaining to the child's family demographics, background information and schooling history. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data, using frequency distribution and measures of central tendency. None of the children received newborn hearing screening services, thus they were identified late following maternal suspicion of hearing impairment. Late identification of the hearing impairment resulted in suboptimal initiation of EI services. All the children received aural habilitation and/or speech-language therapy services. These findings indicate that there is a great need for the establishment of widespread early hearing detection and intervention programmes that will lead to earlier identification of infant and childhood hearing impairment and timely initiation of EI services.

Communication and school readiness abilities of children with hearing impairment in South Africa: A retrospective review of early intervention preschool records

“…Owing to the dearth of research in this area, there was a lack of results in the South African context to compare with the findings of the current study. However, the delayed communication abilities demonstrated by some of the participants were expected, on account of the late identification of the hearing impairment and subsequent late commencement of EI services reported in the current study (Maluleke et al, 2018).…”

“…Because all participants were identified late, ages at initiation of EI services were also consequently delayed (Table 2) (Maluleke et al, 2018). None of the participants received newborn hearing screening services, thus participants in the current study were identified late following maternal suspicion of the hearing impairment.…”

“…None of the participants received newborn hearing screening services, thus participants in the current study were identified late following maternal suspicion of the hearing impairment. Ages at identification of the hearing impairment ranged from 7 months to 4 years and 1 month, with a mean age at identification of 2 years and 3 months, and the median age was 2 years (Maluleke et al, 2018). Current findings are inconsistent with the recommendations by the HPCSA (2018) which suggests earlier targets for identification of hearing impairment.…”

“…Four of the participants had been enrolled at EI Centre A, and the other four had been enrolled at EI Centre B. Early intervention Centre A is situated in Johannesburg and offers a specialised preschool programme for children with hearing impairments and/or language delay, while EI Centre B is situated in Pretoria and offers habilitation services for children with hearing impairments in a preschool setting (Maluleke, Khoza-Shangase, & Kanji, 2018).…”

Maternal knowledge and views regarding early hearing detection and intervention in children aged 0–5 years at a semi-urban primary care clinic in South Africa

“…This prevalence is three times higher than in developed countries (Olusanya, 2012 ). The national prevalence of hearing impairment in South Africa is estimated to be four to six in every 1000 live births in the public health care sector (Maluleke, Khoza-Shangase, & Kanji, 2019 ).…”