The Not-So-Slight Perceptual Consequences of Slight Hearing Loss in School-Age Children: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of research exploring the effects of slight hearing loss on auditory and speech perception in children. Method: A comprehensive search conducted in August 2023 identified a total of 402 potential articles sourced from eight prominent bibliographic databases. These articles were subjected to rigorous evaluation for inclusion criteria, specifically focusing on their reporting of speech or auditory perception using psychoacoustic tasks. The selected studies exclusively examined school-age children, encompassing those between 5 and 18 years of age. Following rigorous evaluation, 10 articles meeting these criteria were selected for inclusion in the review. Results: The analysis of included articles consistently shows that even slight hearing loss in school-age children significantly affects their speech and auditory perception. Notably, most of the included articles highlighted a common trend, demonstrating that perceptual deficits originating due to slight hearing loss in children are particularly observable under challenging experimental conditions and/or in cognitively demanding listening tasks. Recent evidence further underscores that the negative impacts of slight hearing loss in school-age children cannot be solely predicted by their pure-tone thresholds alone. However, there is limited evidence concerning the effect of slight hearing loss on the segregation of competing speech, which may be a better representation of listening in the classroom. Conclusion: This scoping review discusses the perceptual consequences of slight hearing loss in school-age children and provides insights into an array of methodological issues associated with studying perceptual skills in school-age children with slight hearing losses, offering guidance for future research endeavors.