Janet R. Jamieson

Teaching as Transaction: Vygotskian Perspectives on Deafness and Mother-Child Interaction:

This study examines the processes by which mothers communicate with their hearing and deaf preschool children during a problem-solving task. Mothers and children from three matched groups—hearing mother-hearing child, hearing mother-deaf child, and deaf mother-deaf child—were videotaped while the mother taught the child to assemble a wooden pyramid. Hearing mothers of deaf children were less likely to adapt their interactional strategies to meet their childrens communicative needs and achieve intersubjectivity than were the other mothers. Findings support Vygotskys dialectical notion of cognitive development.

Patterns of Classroom Discourse in an Integrated, Interpreted Elementary School Setting

The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of classroom discourse experienced by an integrated deaf child with full-time interpreting services in an elementary setting. The child was videotaped for 3 hours during classroom instructional time. The videotapes were analyzed to determine patterns of discourse between the child and the teacher and the child and the interpreter, as well as to gauge the deaf students accessibility to teacher-class discourse. It was found that the deaf student interacted predominantly with the interpreter; in fact, this student received more direct instruction from the interpreter than from the teacher. The discourse to which the student was exposed was largely academic, rather than cultural or social. Findings are discussed in terms of the extent to which implicit classroom discourse and cultural knowledge were inaccessible to the deaf student.

Instructional discourse strategies: differences between hearing and deaf mothers of deaf children

This study examines the language used by mothers when instructing their hearing and deaf preschool children. Mothers and children from three matched groups, hearing mother - hearing child, hearing mother - deaf child, and deaf mother - deaf child, were videotaped during a problem-solving task. Dependent measures were maternal discourse behaviours and child initiative. The hearing mothers in the mother - deaf child dyads were less likely than the deaf mothers to adapt their discourse strategies to accommodate their childrens needs as visual processors of information, and their children showed less initiative in terms of linguistic and construction attempts than the other children. The findings of this study support Vygotskys dialectical theory of cognitive development.

Interactions between Mothers and Children Who Are Deaf.

Research examining interactions between mothers and children with hearing loss was reviewed from a dialectical perspective. Although dyads with shared hearing status (i.e., in which mother and child are both deaf or both hearing) use many similar and effective strategies for initiating and maintaining interactions, dyads of hearing mothers and children who are deaf are often characterized by asynchrony, excessive maternal control, and child dependence. A variety of strategies was identified by which deaf mothers accommodate their childrens need for visual language input. It is proposed that an intervention approach emphasizing these strategies is more effective than focusing on the shortcomings of children with hearing loss. Several strategies aimed at promoting child participation and language development are suggested.

Cochlear Implantation among Deaf Children with Additional Disabilities: Parental Perceptions of Benefits, Challenges, and Service Provision.

Although increasing numbers of children with additional disabilities are receiving cochlear implants (CIs), little is known about family perspectives of the benefits and the challenges of cochlear implantation in this pediatric population. This study examines perceptions among parents of deaf children with additional disabilities regarding satisfaction with service provision, benefits, and challenges of the CI process. This was a mixed-methods study, which included a survey and interviews. Twenty-three families of deaf children with additional disabilities participated in this study, and 17 of these parents participated in in-depth interviews regarding their childs experience with the CI, including benefits and challenges. Interviews were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Parent-perceived benefits of cochlear implantation included childrens improved sound awareness, communication skills, and greater well-being compared to preimplantation status. However, the majority of families felt that they and their children were not receiving enough services. Major challenges included managing funding; coping with limited availability of specialized services, particularly in rural areas; and continuing concerns about the childs communication, social skills, and academic performance. Results suggest that children with additional disabilities benefit from CIs, but they and their families also face unique challenges that professionals should consider when working with these families.

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Young Children With Cochlear Implants and Developmental Disabilities.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Objectives: We developed a framework for objectively comparing hearing aids, independent of brand, type, or product family. This was done using a large dataset of commercially available hearing aids. To achieve this, we investigated which hearing aid features are suitable for comparison, and are also relevant for the rehabilitation of hearing impairment. To compare hearing aids objectively, we distinguished populations of hearing aids based on a set of key hearing aid features. Finally, we describe these hearing aid subpopulations so that these could potentially be used as a supporting tool for the selection of an appropriate hearing aid. Design: In this study, we used technical (meta-)data from 3911 hearing aids (available on the Dutch market in March 2018). The dataset contained about 50 of the most important characteristics of a hearing aid. After cleaning and handling the data via a well-defined knowledge discovery in database procedure, a total 3083 hearing aids were included. Subsequently, a set of well-defined key hearing aid features were used as input for further analysis. The data were split into an in-the-ear style hearing aid subset and a behind-the-ear style subset, for separate analyses. The knowledge discovery in databases procedure was also used as an objective guiding tool for applying an exploratory cluster analysis to expose subpopulations of hearing aids within the dataset. The latter was done using Latent Class Tree Analysis, which is an extension to the better-known Latent Class Analysis clustering method: with the important addition of a hierarchical structure. Results: A total of 10 hearing aid features were identified as relevant for audiological rehabilitation: compression, sound processing, noise reduction (NR), expansion, wind NR, impulse (noise) reduction, active feedback management, directionality, NR environments, and ear-to-ear communication. These features had the greatest impact on results yielded by the Latent Class Tree cluster analysis. At the first level in the hierarchical cluster model, the two subpopulations of hearing aids could be divided into 3 main branches, mainly distinguishable by the overall availability or technology level of hearing aid features. Higher-level results of the cluster analysis yielded a set of mutually exclusive hearing aid populations, called modalities. In total, nine behind-the-ear and seven in-the-ear modalities were found. These modalities were characterized by particular profiles of (complex) interplay between the selected key features. A technical comparison of features (e.g., implementation) is beyond the scope of this research. Conclusions: Combining a large dataset of hearing aids with a probabilistic hierarchical clustering method enables analysis of hearing aid characteristics which extends beyond product families and manufacturers. Furthermore, this study found that the resulting hearing aid modalities can be thought of as a generic alternative to the manufacturer-dependent proprietary “concepts,” and could potentially aid the selection of an appropriate hearing aid for technical rehabilitation. This study is in line with a growing need for justification of hearing aid selection and the increasing demand for evidence-based practice.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND THE WORK OF ITINERANT TEACHERS OF THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING

The study investigated how social and emotional learning (SEL) is reflected in the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of itinerant teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing (ITDHHs). A mixed-methods approach was taken to survey 53 ITDHHs about their comfort with teaching SEL, commitment to ongoing professional development in SEL skills, and perceptions of SEL in school cultures. Follow-up interviews with 11 ITDHHs provided a deeper perspective on how these teachers prioritize and teach SEL skills within their unique teaching role. Overall, the findings revealed that ITDHHs overwhelmingly recognized the need to provide SEL support to their students, and very often provided direct teaching of SEL skills. However, they did not necessarily feel adequately prepared, nor supported by their schools, in terms of teaching SEL. Implications of the findings for professional preparation and practice are discussed.

The Transition From Early Intervention to School for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Administrator Perspectives

Although the transition from early intervention (EI) to school is a significant milestone in the lives of young children, little research to date has investigated this transition among children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). The aims of this study were to investigate the organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines that facilitate or hinder the transition from the EI system to the school system for children who are D/HH from the perspective of program administrators. Using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique methodology, 146 incidents were extracted from 10 interviews and sorted into 10 helping, 9 hindering, and 5 wish list categories. Findings are consistent with the Ecological and Dynamic Model of Transition (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000), which conceptualizes the transition to school as being influenced by the pattern of interactions between the individuals, groups, and institutions connected to the child.

Hearing impaired speech in noisy classrooms

Noisy classrooms have been shown to induce among students patterns of interaction similar to those used by hearing impaired people [W. H. McKellin et al., GURT (2003)]. In this research, the speech of children in a noisy classroom setting was investigated to determine if noisy classrooms have an effect on students’ speech. Audio recordings were made of the speech of students during group work in their regular classrooms (grades 1–7), and of the speech of the same students in a sound booth. Noise level readings in the classrooms were also recorded. Each student’s noisy and quiet environment speech samples were acoustically analyzed for prosodic and segmental properties (f0, pitch range, pitch variation, phoneme duration, vowel formants), and compared. The analysis showed that the students’ speech in the noisy classrooms had characteristics of the speech of hearing‐impaired persons [e.g., R. O’Halpin, Clin. Ling. and Phon. 15, 529–550 (2001)]. Some educational implications of our findings were identified. [...

Learning and interacting in noisy classrooms: what background noise measures and subjective teacher perceptions tell us about the challenges for students who are hard of hearing

The negative impact of noisy classrooms can impede academic performance for even typically hearing children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the impact of noisy classrooms on the social and academic experiences of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, who are increasingly educated alongside their hearing peers. First, background noise levels were measured in 11 kindergarten-Grade 7 classrooms in which children with hearing loss were placed, during the first 1½ hours of one school day. Based on the ongoing activities and background noise levels, predictions were made as to when the children would likely experience the most and least adverse listening conditions. Second, teachers were interviewed to obtain their perspectives of the learning and socialization experiences of the children with hearing loss. Overall, there was striking consistency between the predicted difficulties based on objective acoustic measures and perceived difficulties based on teachers’ subjective perspectives. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed the following major themes concerning the students with hearing loss: difficulty hearing instruction; missing out on social communication with peers; and difficulty recognizing and managing transitions. Overall, these findings suggest that background noise in elementary school classrooms negatively impacts listening, learning, and social interaction for students with hearing loss.The negative impact of noisy classrooms can impede academic performance for even typically hearing children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the impact of noisy classrooms on the social and academic experiences of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, who are increasingly educated alongside their hearing peers. First, background noise levels were measured in 11 kindergarten-Grade 7 classrooms in which children with hearing loss were placed, during the first 1½ hours of one school day. Based on the ongoing activities and background noise levels, predictions were made as to when the children would likely experience the most and least adverse listening conditions. Second, teachers were interviewed to obtain their perspectives of the learning and socialization experiences of the children with hearing loss. Overall, there was striking consistency between the predicted difficulties based on objective acoustic measures and perceived difficulties based on teachers’ subjective perspectives. T...