Major factors related to the development of communicative skills of hearing-impaired children

Abstract

This study is an attempt to describe the general background, classroom situation and levels of communication skills of Hearing-Impaired children of Primary-school age in Malta. Data was obtained through questionnaires to parents, classroom and peripatetic teacher, structured observation and tests of ability and communication skills. A control group of 14 primary aged children was given the same tests. A statistical analyses of the data showed that the Hearing Impaired sample had a lower than average mean score on the ability test, and the correlation of their ability to achievement was lower than that of children with normal hearing. Hearing-Impaired boys used much more verbal communication than girls. A very significant statistical correlation was also found between the Hearing-Impaired children's level of communication skills and their parents' level of education and co-operation with teachers, mother's involvement in the teaching of the child, time of diagnoses of hearing loss, time of entry into school and peripatetic teacher's rapport with the child. Interestingly however, the level of hearing loss and the rapport with the classroom teacher did not result as being correlated.