Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Pediatrics. 2021 Oct;148(4). doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-048702. Epub 2021 Sep 22.
To investigate trends in population-level school-aged reading scores among students with hearing loss in an urban Colorado school district after implementation of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) and Early Hearing Detection and Intervention.
The final sample included 1422 assessments conducted during the 2000-2001 through 2013-2014 school years for 321 children with hearing loss in grades 3 through 10. Longitudinal hierarchical linear modeling analyses were used to examine reading proficiency (controlling for birth year, grade in school, free and reduced lunch status, additional disability services, and English not spoken in the home). The Colorado Student Assessment Program was administered to students in third through 10th grades throughout the state. The test years chosen included children born before and after implementation of UNHS.
After implementation of UNHS, significant longitudinal reading proficiency improvements were observed by birth year and grade overall and for all subgroups. However, gains in reading proficiency were substantially less for children eligible for free and reduced lunch and those with moderate-severe to profound hearing loss. With each succeeding birth cohort and grade, increased numbers of children participated in testing because of improved language skills, with higher proportions identified as proficient or advanced readers.
Notable improvements in reading proficiency after Early Hearing Detection and Intervention implementation were demonstrated, as all groups of children with hearing loss became more likely to achieve proficient and advanced reading levels. On the other hand, some disparities increased, with greater improvements in reading proficiency for children in economically advantaged families.
在科罗拉多州一个城市学区实施新生儿普遍听力筛查（UNHS）和早期听力发现与干预后，调查听力损失学生的人群水平阅读成绩趋势。
最终样本包括在 2000-2001 学年至 2013-2014 学年期间对 321 名 3 至 10 年级听力损失儿童进行的 1422 项评估。使用纵向分层线性建模分析来检查阅读能力（控制出生年份、在校年级、免费和减价午餐状况、额外的残疾服务和家中不讲英语）。科罗拉多州学生评估计划在全州三年级至十年级的学生中进行。选择的测试年份包括在 UNHS 实施之前和之后出生的儿童。
在实施 UNHS 后，整体上和所有亚组中，按出生年份和年级观察到显著的纵向阅读能力提高。然而，对于有资格获得免费和减价午餐的儿童以及中度至重度至深度听力损失的儿童，阅读能力的提高幅度要小得多。随着每一批成功的出生队列和年级，由于语言技能的提高，越来越多的儿童参加了测试，其中有更高比例的儿童被确定为熟练或高级读者。
在早期听力发现与干预实施后，阅读能力显著提高，所有听力损失儿童群体都更有可能达到熟练和高级阅读水平。另一方面，一些差距有所增加，经济上处于有利地位的家庭的儿童阅读能力提高幅度更大。
