Communication, academic, and social skills of young adults with hearing loss

Abstract

This manuscript reports on data collected as part of a larger research study designed to investigate factors that facilitate the integration of children with hearing loss into mainstream environments. Aspects of communicative, academic, and social functioning for 43 adolescents and young adults were examined using questionnaires. In addition, standardized assessments of communication, academic competence, and self-perception were administered to a subset of 24 participants. The results indicate that participants with hearing loss who had participated in a listening and spoken language program in childhood, and had continued to receive support services in school, were able to function effectively within mainstream school and community environments. The participants in this study performed at average or above-average levels on measures of communication, academic achievement, and self-perception compared to their peers with typical hearing.