About 40% of deaf children have an additional developmental disorder or a major medical problem, which may delay the age of diagnosis of hearing loss and/or require intervention by other professionals. This situation is referred to as “deafness with added disability” (AD+).
The reason why the population of hearing-impaired children is more likely to have associated added disabilities (40% versus 14% in the hearing population) is that the risk factors for hearing loss overlap with those for many other disabilities. These factors can influence various aspects of development, including language acquisition.
It is important to check that appropriate care is received, the effectiveness of hearing aids or implants, as well speech therapy intervention strategies, and family adherence to sessions and appointments. The challenge posed by AD+ is early detection, to allow early and appropriate intervention, and the need for fluid transdisciplinary collaboration between all professionals involved, together with the involvement of the family.
For your bibliography:
CODEPEH (F. Núñez et al.) (2021). “Hearing Loss in Children with Associated Disabilities (AD+): CODEPEH Recommendations 2021”. Revista FIAPAS, 178. Madrid, FIAPAS 2021
©FIAPAS 2021 (2nd edition 2022)