Being deaf at the playground: the effects of hearing loss on children's social participation

Abstract

Considering the importance of early social interactions, particularly in preschool age, the current work seeks to understand DHH children’s social-emotional functioning compared to their hearing peers. By focusing on play and playground behaviours, social emotional competence, the thesis wants to contribute to the theoretical body of work regarding DHH preschoolers social functioning and its interrelated factors. The practical aim of the current work is to provide insights and strategies aimed to promoting social integration and equity for DHH children. DHH preschoolers in the current study showed more solitary behaviours on the playground than their hearing peers, in line with previous studies. However, contrary to our initial expectations, these non-social behaviours were unrelated to their overall competencies, as these were comparable to their hearing peers. Our findings highlight the unique social challenges faced by DHH preschoolers, and the need to look beyond intrinsic aspects, and further consider the weight that the physical-social environment plays on access to social learning opportunities of DHH children.