National Workshop on Mild and Unilateral Hearing Loss (2005)

Overview

CDC EHDI and the Marion Downs Hearing Center cosponsored the National Workshop on Mild and Unilateral Hearing Loss on July 26 and 27, 2005. The main goal of the workshop was to review and discuss current information related to the identification and appropriate intervention for children with mild and unilateral hearing loss.

The first part of the workshop consisted of three sessions: (1) Prevalence and Screening; (2) Diagnosis, Amplification, and Outcomes; and (3) Early Intervention, Eligibility, and Clinical Practice. Each of these sessions included presentations by researchers and clinicians that highlighted key issues.

During the second part of the workshop, participants joined one of the four following breakout groups to discuss a list of topics that related to issues associated with mild and unilateral hearing loss in children.

Group 1: Screening for Hearing Loss
Group 2: Diagnostic Evaluation and Follow-up
Group 3: Hearing Technology
Group 4: Early Intervention

During the third and final part of the workshop the facilitator of each breakout group presented a summary to all participants about what was discussed in their respective groups.

Summaries of Research Articles

Danielle S. Ross, PhD, MSc and W. June Holstrum, PhD

These tables summarize scientific and review articles on mild and unilateral hearing loss in children. The list of references for these tables is not meant to be exhaustive, but instead focuses on specific topics, such as prevalence, outcomes (e.g., speech, language, and auditory perception), parental concerns, psychosocial aspects, and possible interventions (e.g., amplification and classroom assistance).

NOT included in these summary tables are articles on otitis media (i.e., the focus is on permanent hearing loss), articles on adults with acquired hearing loss, articles published before 1980, articles focusing exclusively on etiology, and articles focusing on outdated technology.

This series of tables will be updated on an ongoing basis, with several articles planned to be added in the near future.

These summary tables are provided for information purposes only. The contents of the summaries are derived solely from the research articles themselves and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention.

Acknowledgements: The following individuals helped in summarizing these articles: W. June Holstrum, Benjamin Rodriguez, Denise Green, Vickie R. Thompson, Marcus Gaffney, and Jamie Elliott. I would also like to thank the librarians and Pamela Mason at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for their help in identifying the additional articles that will soon be added to this series of summary tables.

Reference list of all the articles included in these tables pdf icon[PDF – 88 KB]