2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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3/10/2020  |   3:00 PM - 3:30 PM   |  Parental Experiences Following the Birth of a Child with Microtia/Atresia   |  Chicago B

Parental Experiences Following the Birth of a Child with Microtia/Atresia

Although significant research has been done on a range of topics related to children with sensorineural hearing loss identified through newborn hearing loss, far less is known about children born with microtia/atresia. Due to the visible nature of microtia (small or absent pinna)/atresia (absent or closed ear canal), it is not unusual for a parent or family member, sometimes in the delivery room, to “diagnose by google”. The incidence of microtia/atresia, varies by ethnicity, ranging from 1?5 in 10,000 (CDC, 2018) making it much less common than sensorineural hearing loss. It is unknown if parents encounter professionals with experience and accurate information on the unique hearing loss needs, possible other medical considerations and long-term developmental impact. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the experiences of parents following the birth of a child with microtia/atresia (aural atresia). Participants were recruited via social media and professional networks and included parents of children with microtia/atresia, ages of 6 months 6 years at the time of the study. Participants provided demographic information, pregnancy/birth history, and information about their child, such as age of confirmation of hearing loss, use of amplification, and Early Intervention enrollment. Participants were interviewed about their experiences following their child’s birth, information and recommendation for follow up, initial and later concerns, and decisions about amplification and early intervention. Responses were transcribed and coded for thematic analysis to identify common recurring themes. Results of this study, including demographic information, 1:3:6 adherence, amplification decisions and the results of the thematic analysis of responses to the interview, focusing on experiences, challenges, and needs identified and described by parents following the birth of a child with microtia/atresia will be shared and discussed. Attendees will consider how the information shared should inform their practice.

  • Examine the current research on parent perspectives and experiences following the birth of a child with microtia/atresia
  • Identify themes across parent experiences following the birth of a child with microtia/atresia
  • Apply knowledge gleaned from parent interviews to support families of children with microtia/atresia.

Presentation:
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Handouts:
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Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference


Presenters/Authors

Meredith Berger (), Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, mberger@clarkeschools.org;
Meredith Berger, MS became the director of Clarke Schools for Hearing & Speech/New York, an Early Intervention and Preschool listening spoken language program, in 2008. Prior to that, she was the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Educational Specialist at New York Eye and Ear’s Ear Institute/Cochlear Implant Center. She received a B.S. in Education from SUNY at Buffalo State College and master’s degrees in Deaf Education and in Educational Leadership from Canisius College. In addition to presenting on the educational needs of children with hearing loss, she has also co-authored pieces on the Clinic-School relationship. Meredith is on the Executive Board of Option Schools as a Director at Large and is member of the Children's Hearing Institute Medical and Educational Advisory Board. In 2017, Meredith began her doctoral studies at Teachers College, Columbia University to find answers to her own questions on the needs/outcomes of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly those with microtia/atresia, and their families.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech.

Nonfinancial -
• Has a Professional (advisory committee member) relationship for Volunteer membership on advisory committee or review panels.
• Has a Professional (board member) relationship for Board membership.
• Has a Personal (parent of a child with microtia/atresia) relationship for Other volunteer activities.

Maria Hartman (), Teachers College, Columbia University, mch33@columbia.edu;
Maria Hartman, Ph.D., is a NYS certified Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with many years of classroom teaching experience. She is currently a lecturer and the director of the the Program of Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Teachers College, Columbia University.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.

DaeShawn Hall (), NYC Department of Education, djh2154@columbia.edu;
DaeShawn Hall, MS CED is a Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and school administrator, who has worked for the New York City Department of Education for 8 years. He was previously the coordinator for a self-contained elementary school program for deaf/hard of hearing children and is now an assistant principal at a NYC High School. As a doctoral student in Deaf Education at Teachers College, Columbia University his research interests include listening and spoken language development, signed and manual languages, teacher development and leadership, and meta-cognition.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -