The psychosocial development of children with hearing impairments : a comparative study.
Loading...
Date
1995
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Teachers in South Africa and the United Kingdom rated their hearing impaired pupils, using
the Meadow/Kendall Social Emotional Assessment Inventory, an instrument specifically
designed for use with this population. The ratings of teachers from both countries were
compared for the complete group of subjects (N=92, SA=42, UK=S0) and special school children
(N=68, SA=38, UK=30). Children aged 10-12 years, with severe to profound hearing losses and
no additional difficulties from South Africa and the United Kingdom, obtained similar scores on
two subscales (social adjustment; self-image). On the third subscale (emotional adjustment)
British children were rated more positively than South African children. The lower South
African score was attributed to results from one South African special school which included
children likely to have had more negative experiences than children from other schools.
Additional item analysis revealed that children from both countries with hearing
impairments do not show unusual or antisocial behaviours and have adapted well
to communicative modes adopted in individual schools. Both groups of teachers rated the
behaviour of their pupils as generally immature, especially with regard to
motivation. It is suggested that such behavioural tendencies reflect appropriate
adjustment to management by parents and teachers. Differences in levels of emotional adjustment
noted between groups within the subject population are explained in terms of the life events
framework. It is suggested that hearing impaired children who experience more negative life
circumstances are at greater risk of developing emotional problems than others less affected.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.