ERIC Number: EJ1035478
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jul
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0161-1461
Speech, Sign, or Multilingualism for Children with Hearing Loss: Quantitative Insights into Caregivers' Decision Making
Crowe, Kathryn; McLeod, Sharynne; McKinnon, David H.; Ching, Teresa Y. C.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v45 n3 p234-247 Jul 2014
Purpose: The authors sought to investigate the influence of a comprehensive range of factors on the decision making of caregivers of children with hearing loss regarding the use of speech, the use of sign, spoken language multilingualism, and spoken language choice. This is a companion article to the qualitative investigation described in Crowe, Fordham, McLeod, and Ching (2014) . Method: Through a questionnaire, 177 caregivers of 157 Australian children with hearing loss (ages 3;5 to 9;4 [years;months], M[subscript age] = 6;6) rated the importance of a range of potential influences on their decision making regarding their children's communication. The majority of children were reported to use speech (96.6%) as part or all of their communication system, with fewer children reported to use sign (20.9%). Few children used more than one spoken language (8.3%). Results: Proportional analyses and exploratory factor analyses were conducted. Overall, caregivers' decisions were influenced by their children's audiological and intervention characteristics, communication with those around them, community participation, access to intervention and education services in English, and concerns about their children's future lives. The advice of speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and specialist teachers was more important to caregivers than advice from medical practitioners and nonprofessionals. Conclusion: Caregivers' decision making regarding communication mode and language use is influenced by factors that are not equally weighted and that relate to child, family, community, and advice from others. Knowledge of these factors can assist professionals in supporting caregivers making choices regarding communication.
Descriptors: Children, Hearing Impairments, Speech, Sign Language, Multilingualism, Decision Making, Child Caregivers, Questionnaires, Factor Analysis, Influences, Foreign Countries
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 800-638-8255; Fax: 301-571-0457; e-mail: subscribe@asha.org; Web site: http://lshss.asha.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Australia

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