The role of audiological support in the language development of deaf learners: Research and practise to inform outcomes

This case study is written to illustrate to general and non-deaf specialist educators some of the most commonly occurring struggles that deaf learners, who use their supportive technology effectively, face in language development. Specifically, it addresses the impact of audiological support on the language development of a secondary age profoundly deaf learner. I will focus on the hierarchy of listening skills and assess the learner’s abilities within the four main areas of detection, discrimination, identification, and comprehension. These assessments of his listening skills were conducted in two different educational environments and with different audiological support in place to provide points of comparison. I collected data in these areas so that I was able to examine the collection for challenges and opportunities within his learning and development of language. This paper concludes that case studies such as this allow educators and practitioners to pinpoint barriers in the listening process in order to place support strategies. This paper highlights the distinction between the role of audiology in supporting audiological access to language and cognitive development and understanding of language. The student used here stands as an example for non-deafness specialists as to the challenges deaf learners come across when trying to develop language.