The work of the Village: Creating a new world for children with hearing loss and their families

Abstract

Though the health and economic issues in developing countries may create situations in which the development of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs could seem insurmountable, developing countries have some resources that are not easily available to those in the developed world. Developing countries often have well-organized communities in which members work together for the benefit of the individuals within their communities as well as a willingness to learn strategies that can improve the lives of individuals in their communities. Paradoxically, there also exists societal intolerance for disabilities that can result in stigmatization and ultimate isolation of affected families. Hopefully, education within these communities can begin to overcome historical intolerance. While some might argue that sufficient financial resources are the key to the development of an EHDI system, the Colorado system, although grateful for all financial resources, is dependent, first and foremost upon the human resources. This article provides information about the history of the Colorado system in the hopes that lessons learned will provide valuable input to others facing similar challenges.

Early detection of infant hearing loss in the private health care sector of South Africa

“…The majority (47%; 36/76) of NICU screening protocols used only AOAE as an indication of hearing status whilst 22% (17/76) utilized combinations of technologies which excluded AABR. The prevalence of hearing loss, both sensorineural and auditory neuropathy, in NICU populations is significantly higher than in the healthy baby nursery due to the perinatal risk factors associated with this population [1,13,21]. Auditory neuropathy is a condition where OAEs are mostly present whilst ABRs are absent or grossly abnormal [22].…”

“…The negative effects of hearing loss are exacerbated by the poor socioeconomic conditions and burdened health care system in South Africa [14]. The longer the hearing impairment goes undetected, the poorer the language and speech outcomes are likely to be with higher associated costs [1,[9][10][11]14]. In South Africa, various studies report average age of diagnosis to be well over 18 months due to the absence of a systematic effort to screen infants [5][6].…”

“…Late detection of hearing loss impedes language, psychosocial, emotional and cognitive development in early childhood, which in turn undermines later educational and vocational attainment [1,3,[9][10][11][12][13][14]. The negative effects of hearing loss are exacerbated by the poor socioeconomic conditions and burdened health care system in South Africa [14].…”

“…All children have the basic human right to have access to human communication, regardless of where they are born, their race, their nationality, their family's income, or the level of education of their parents [1]. Every year more than 800 000 infants globally are estimated to be born with, or acquire permanent bilateral hearing loss (>40dBHL) within the first few weeks of life [2][3].…”

Orientação no processo de reabilitação de crianças deficientes auditivas na perspectiva dos pais

“…This is due to the importance that hearing has in the development of oral communication skills, learning and social interaction. This reinforces the need for an early diagnosis and the importance of an appropriate follow-up so that a better use of the neurological maturation period, considered ideal for learning, is guaranteed to the child via auditory stimulation and the consequent acquisition and development of oral language 2,3 . Speech therapy may minimize the impact of hearing loss 4 .…”