FAQs for Parents
What is the aim of the project?
There is a BSL version of this available.
The main aim is to look at the relationships between ‘interventions’, such as:
- fitting of hearing aids
- support given by education
- how individual families work
and ‘outcomes’, including:
- language development
- being involved in society
- quality of family life
When we have a better understanding of what works best for individual deaf children, it will be possible to use this for the benefit of families and services all over the UK. Hopefully, the end result will be that all deaf children can reach their full potential in life.
Who is taking part?
There is a BSL version of this available.
Families living in England whose child was identified as being deaf following newborn screening during the first years of the project have been invited to take part in the study. There are is also a new discussion forum that families of deaf children can join.
What does the project involve?
There is a BSL version of this available.
There are different parts to this three-year project:
- To look at the language (spoken and signed), communication, play, social and physical development of deaf children identified by the screening programme.
- To find out from families about life with a deaf child and the effect on their family.
- To collect information about what help the family and the child receives from a wide range of support services.
What happened in the first part of the project?
There is a BSL version of this available.
There were two areas that were most important for the first year of the study:
- To develop information for families about the project and about taking part
For this part of the project, NDCS invited parents to come to discussion groups around the country. Parents were asked to tell us what information they want to know about the study and how they want it presented. Families of deaf children are the key part of this project. - To develop a way of checking how the language of young deaf children who use BSL is developing
At the moment the only tests that check language development in children look at spoken language. One of the most often used tests is the “MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI)”. To measure the language development of all deaf children better, the MacArthur CDI needs to be extended so that it can also be used with children who use BSL. This involves work with a number of children whose parents are deaf and use BSL at home.
This part of the project was led by UCL and more information is available on www.ucl.ac.uk/HCS/research/EBSLD.
How are parents involved?
There is a BSL version of this available.
During the project, a project advisory group made up of parents, professionals and individuals who support deaf children, regularly discuss the project’s progress with the project management team. This is a very important part of this project, making sure that parents of deaf children are at the heart of the work and regularly have an opportunity to have their say about it.
Parents and families can now join a new discussion forum to share information with each other and to get help, support and advice from the research team about participating in the project.
www.positivesupportforum.info
