Newborn Screening and Earlier Intervention with Deaf Children:

Parent Report of the Development of Auditory Skills in Infants and Toddlers Who Use Hearing Aids

“…The latter, in turn, are considered crucial in reducing delays in language acquisition, cognition, and social and emotional development (JCIH 2007;Leigh et al 2010). The latter, in turn, are considered crucial in reducing delays in language acquisition, cognition, and social and emotional development (JCIH 2007;Leigh et al 2010).…”

Expanding Use of Telepractice in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

“…There is particular potential for the application of the Australian experience with telepractice to regions where both demography and geography present particular challenges for service delivery and where the prevalence of childhood hearing loss is potentially very high (Leigh, Newall, & Newall, 2010), such as parts of the Asia-Pacific region. There are numerous potential reasons for the higher prevalence of hearing loss in these regions including the higher likelihood of some maternal infections and other preventable causes of infant hearing loss, such as meningitis and ototoxic drugs (Olusanya, 2006).…”

“…Consistent with the development of hearing screening programs in many developing countries, the WHO (2004) has sought to promote the development of audiological and associated support services, including the provision of lowcost hearing aids. There has been a corresponding growth in the application of cochlear implant technology in the Asia-Pacific region as a consequence of the wider application of socialized medicine and also through some public-private partnerships and private benefaction (Leigh et al, 2010). In regard to the latter, it is notable that, in 2006, a private benefactor donated 15,000 cochlear implant devices (and associated support for surgery) for the benefit of children who are deaf and hard of hearing in China (Leigh et al, 2010).…”

“…Early intervention of any type may be perceived or valued differently according to the customs and cultural beliefs of the consumers of those services. It is well understood, for example, that participation in early intervention programs may be challenging for parents from some cultures because of the stigma attached to disability (Leigh et al, 2010). In other cultures, families may be difficult to engage in intervention because there is simply no perception that hearing loss requires such intervention (Rhoades, 2010a).…”

Telepractice: The Australian Experience in an International Context

“…There has been a corresponding growth in the application of cochlear implant technology in the Asia-Pacific region as a consequence of the wider application of socialized medicine and also through some public-private partnerships and private benefaction (Leigh et al, 2010). In regard to the latter, it is notable that, in 2006, a private benefactor donated 15,000 cochlear implant devices (and associated support for surgery) for the benefit of children who are deaf and hard of hearing in China (Leigh et al, 2010). Such increased availability of hearing technology will undoubtedly require a shift in current intervention models in many countries in the region to accommodate a greater emphasis on the development of listening and spoken language.…”