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EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF HEARING LOSS IN DISTRICT BAHAWALPUR

Mehvish Mukhtar, Dr Afshan Abbas, Dr. Abdul Rafay

Objective: The objectives of the study were, to determine the effect of early identification of hearing impairment language development and to determine appropriate age for identification of hearing impairment. Method: A predesigned questionnaire form Peabody Picture Vocablary Test material and observation technique 'was used to collect information from the respondents and to determine receptive and expressive language scores of early and late identified hearing impaired children. Result: 100 respondents were classified into four groups.6-8 years, 8-1 0 years, 10-12 years and 12-14/> 12 years. Average scores of early identified children in age group 6-8 - years was calculated as 52% and average scores of late identified was calculated as 42%, in age group 8- 10 years the average scores of early identified children was calculated 60% and of late identified was calculated as 41 %. In the age group 10-12 average scores were calculated as 71 % and of late identified were calculated as 40% and in the age group> 12 the average scores of early identified was calculated as 75% and of late identified was found to be 60%. On the basis of test ppvt applied to determine language scores of respondents, among only early identified cases 54% respondents scored in range 60-80, 28% respondents scored in range 40-60 and 14% respondents scored in range 80-100 and only 4% scored in range 20-30. The most prevalent degree of hearing loss was found to be moderately severe degree of hearing loss as 58% of early identified and 46% of late identified cases were suffering from moderately severe degree of hearing loss. Onset of hearing loss was predominantly sudden 36 respondents from early identified and 41 of late identified cases had sudden onset of hearing loss. Conclusion: From the findings the inevitable conclusion is that the identification of hearing loss by 6 months of age followed by appropriate intervention is the most effective strategy for the normal development of language in infants and toddlers with hearing loss. Identification of hearing loss by 6 months of age can brought the language skills to normal followed by early intervention.

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