Learning needs of slightly deaf children are being ‘overlooked’

Serious learning issues in slightly deaf children are being “overlooked” in schools, researchers have warned.

The problem means that academic achievement for students with mild hearing losses is no better than that for profoundly deaf children.

A study by the University of Edinburgh found that students with mild deafness received 1.6 hours of support each week, while those with moderate deafness got 2.6 hours. 

This compares to an average of 17.2 hours a week for profoundly deaf students.

The discrepancy, researchers say, is because slightly deaf children have better speech skills than their profoundly deaf peers, meaning serious learning issues can be “overlooked”.

This includes problems such as smaller vocabularies and difficulties in acquiring information by listening to lessons in class. As a result, resources are mainly targeted at children with more severe hearing loss.