The effects of degree and type of hearing loss on children's performance in class

This study evaluated school functioning of a sample of children with hearing impairments who were mainstreamed in regular educational settings. Participants comprised 47 children aged 7;2 to 9;3 years with various degrees and types of hearing loss. Teachers evaluated the children using the Hebrew version of the Screening Instrument For Targeting Educational Risks (SIFTER) (Anderson, 1989). Results demonstrated that some children with unilateral hearing loss as well as children with minimal hearing loss showed lower performance than children with more severe hearing loss. Also, children with hearing aids performed better than those without hearing aids. These findings suggest first that professionals need to become more aware of the possible adverse effects of minimal or unilateral hearing loss on students' functioning in the educational system, and second that consideration should be given to increasing the provision of necessary services.