Hearing aid use and early language education for multiple-handicapped children

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Auditory behaviors, language development, and communication skills were investigated in multiple-handicapped children with hearing impairments, who were fitted with hearing aids. 1) Fifty-four multiple-handicapped children with hearing impairments were evaluated in a follow-up study. Thirty-five children demonstrated fair or good results with the use of hearing aids. The effects were evaluated with the appearance of responses to sounds or voices and changes in the quality or quantity of vocalizations. Nine children, who showed no improvement in their auditory behaviors, had associated severe motor and mental retardation. Ten children had difficulty in the adjustment to the use of hearing aids, because they did not like the presence of earmolds in their ears. 2) A two year process of adjustment in the use of a hearing aid in the case of a 19-month-old child is reported. It became possible to fit the child with a programmable behind-the-ear type of hearing aid, and some improvement in her auditory behavior, communication skills, and language development after 15 months of hearing aid usage was noted. 3) An eight-year-old child, who was found to have severe hearing loss at the age of six years, became able to communicate with her family and friends in her elementary school using gestures and speech. It is emphasized that to enable auditory communication in such a case, long-lasting, patient rehabilitative and educational services, as well as the establishment of a cooperative team, including the parents, school teachers and, speech therapists, are indispensable.