Somewhere, Out There: Preschool Children with Hearing Impairment and Learning Disabilities

Abstract

In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the identification of, and provision of appropriate services to, children with hearing impairment and learning disabilities (HILD). Although at present it is unclear just what percentage of children with HI also might have educationally significant learning problems, results from limited survey research within the sparse literature on students with multiple disabilities and HI (MDHI) provide evidence that such a group exists and that a significant portion of the school-age population with HI falls within the HILD subgroup. For children with hearing loss, the preschool period offers a prime opportunity for educationally significant problems in addition to impaired hearing, such as learning disabilities, to be identified and for an educational plan to be implemented. This article presents information on the characteristic etiologies, estimated prevalence, aspects of identification and educational programming, and an agenda for practice and research with this population.