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Best ear hearing level, time factors and language outcome in Swedish children with mild and moderate hearing loss with hearing aids

Sahlén, Birgitta LU ; Ibertsson, Tina LU ; Asker-Árnason, Lena LU ; Brännström, Jonas LU and Hansson, Kristina LU orcid (2022) In Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology 47(4). p.239-248
Abstract

Aim: The risk for language disorder is high in children with all levels of hearing loss (HL). Early identification and intervention should be as important for children with mild HL as for those with more severe HL. Despite new-born hearing screening, a recent survey of speech language therapist services in southern Sweden indicates that children with mild and moderate HL are severely neglected when it comes to language assessment and language intervention. In this study we explore associations between Best Ear Hearing Level (BEHL), time factors and language skills in Swedish children with HL with hearing aids (HA). Method: Participants were 19 children with mild HL (BEHL 23–39) and 22 children with moderate HL (BEHL 40–70) aged 5–15... (More)

Aim: The risk for language disorder is high in children with all levels of hearing loss (HL). Early identification and intervention should be as important for children with mild HL as for those with more severe HL. Despite new-born hearing screening, a recent survey of speech language therapist services in southern Sweden indicates that children with mild and moderate HL are severely neglected when it comes to language assessment and language intervention. In this study we explore associations between Best Ear Hearing Level (BEHL), time factors and language skills in Swedish children with HL with hearing aids (HA). Method: Participants were 19 children with mild HL (BEHL 23–39) and 22 children with moderate HL (BEHL 40–70) aged 5–15 years. Information on age at diagnosis and at HA fitting were collected. The children performed a nonword repetition and a sentence comprehension task. Results: The time elapsed between diagnosis and fitting with HA was longer for the children with mild HL.Participants with mild HL received their HA significantly later than children with moderate HL. No association between BEHL and the two language measures was found, and language skills were not better in children with mild than moderate HL. 17% of participants performed below cut-off for language disorder on both language measures. Conclusion: Given the risk for long-term academic and social consequences of even mild HL delayed HA intervention for children with HLleads to serious concerns by families, clinicians, and pedagogues.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
hearing aids, language disorder, Mild hearing loss, moderate hearing loss, nonword repetition, sentence comprehension
in
Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology
volume
47
issue
4
pages
239 - 248
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85111121750
  • pmid:34287105
ISSN
1401-5439
DOI
10.1080/14015439.2021.1951347
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
id
419ed964-9bb4-434e-a16d-a30cd84d2521
date added to LUP
2022-01-31 18:01:34
date last changed
2024-04-06 17:30:18
@article{419ed964-9bb4-434e-a16d-a30cd84d2521,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aim: The risk for language disorder is high in children with all levels of hearing loss (HL). Early identification and intervention should be as important for children with mild HL as for those with more severe HL. Despite new-born hearing screening, a recent survey of speech language therapist services in southern Sweden indicates that children with mild and moderate HL are severely neglected when it comes to language assessment and language intervention. In this study we explore associations between Best Ear Hearing Level (BEHL), time factors and language skills in Swedish children with HL with hearing aids (HA). Method: Participants were 19 children with mild HL (BEHL 23–39) and 22 children with moderate HL (BEHL 40–70) aged 5–15 years. Information on age at diagnosis and at HA fitting were collected. The children performed a nonword repetition and a sentence comprehension task. Results: The time elapsed between diagnosis and fitting with HA was longer for the children with mild HL.Participants with mild HL received their HA significantly later than children with moderate HL. No association between BEHL and the two language measures was found, and language skills were not better in children with mild than moderate HL. 17% of participants performed below cut-off for language disorder on both language measures. Conclusion: Given the risk for long-term academic and social consequences of even mild HL delayed HA intervention for children with HLleads to serious concerns by families, clinicians, and pedagogues.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sahlén, Birgitta and Ibertsson, Tina and Asker-Árnason, Lena and Brännström, Jonas and Hansson, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{1401-5439}},
  keywords     = {{hearing aids; language disorder; Mild hearing loss; moderate hearing loss; nonword repetition; sentence comprehension}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{239--248}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology}},
  title        = {{Best ear hearing level, time factors and language outcome in Swedish children with mild and moderate hearing loss with hearing aids}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14015439.2021.1951347}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14015439.2021.1951347}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}