The Association Between Family Resources and Language Among Young Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

OBJECTIVE

Our study (1) examined demographic factors in families with children with bilateral hearing loss and how they relate to Family Resource Scale (FRS) questionnaire data and (2) examined correlations between FRS data and measures of language.

METHODS

Children aged 6 months to 10 years with bilateral hearing loss were enrolled. Parents completed the FRS questionnaire to assess their access to socioeconomic resources at the first language measurement visit. Assessments measured receptive and expressive language, nonverbal intelligence quotient, and adaptive functioning.

RESULTS

Among the 85 children included in the analysis, approximately 40% had hearing loss classified as mild to moderate and 25% had a cochlear implant. Participants' mean FRS score was 130 (SD 16.6) (with the highest possible score of 150 and indicating better access to resources). Significant positive correlations ( p -value ≤ 0.05) were found between maternal education, paternal education, and family income and several FRS subscales (Growth and Support, Necessities in Health, Childcare, Personal Resources). Significant positive correlations were found between the Necessities in Health subscale and all the language measurements.

CONCLUSION

Children whose parents reported better access to socioeconomic resources related to health care had higher language performance scores. Although early access to intervention services has improved for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, there are other variables contributing to language development, including access to socioeconomic resources. This study highlights the need for further research addressing more specific and modifiable resources to improve language performance for deaf or hard-of-hearing children.