The use of non-specialist personnel in providing a service for children disabled by hearing impairment.

PURPOSE

This paper addresses the issue of how to provide health services for hearing-impaired children in the developed world. Most children live in developing countries, with no access to audiological or therapy services.

METHOD

The paper reviews the prevalence of hearing impairment in developing countries and stresses the need to examine the details not only of the hearing impairment but also of the disabling consequences of hearing loss, especially in the developing world where the provision of hearing aids (or other amplification) is a financial and/or logistical impossibility for most children.

RESULTS

Institutional services in developing countries achieve very low coverage rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) reaches disabled children more effectively, and the final part of the paper suggests ways in which CBR workers can assist hearing-impaired children.