Abstract
Hearing impairment is often a low priority or even not noticed at all, but with such high prevalence and impact on quality of life for people with intellectual disability, this is certainly not to be ignored. Our ability as an audiology profession to assess hearing in a person-centered and flexible manner has improved, and the known benefits of rehabilitation add further weight to the value and importance of regular assessment for those with intellectual disabilities. This chapter details the types and causes of hearing impairment in this group of adults, along with the assessment that may be used and approaches to rehabilitation. The aim of this chapter is to provide the information needed for all supporting those with hearing impairment to be able to take action and change mindsets around hearing impairment.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Uus K, Bamford J. Effectiveness of population-based newborn hearing screening in England: ages of interventions and profile of cases. Pediatrics. 2006;117:887–93.
World Health Organisation. WHO global estimates on prevalence of hearing loss. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012.
Action on Hearing Loss. Facts and figures on hearing loss, deafness and tinnitus. London: Action on Hearing Loss; 2011.
Strydom A, Hassiotis A, Livingston G. Mental health and social care needs of older people with intellectual disabilities. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2005;18:229–35.
Van Buggenhout GJ, Trommelen JC, Schoenmaker A, De Bal C, Verbeek JJ, Smeets DF, Ropers HH, Devriendt K, Hamel BC, Fryns JP. Down syndrome in a population of elderly mentally retarded patients: genetic-diagnostic survey and implications for medical care. Am J Med Genet. 1999;85:376–84.
Evenhuis HM. Medical aspects of ageing in a population with intellectual disability: II. Hearing impairment. J Intellect Disabil Res. 1995;39:27–33.
McShea L, Corkish C, McAnelly S. Audiology services: access, assessment and aftercare. Learn Disabil Pract. 2014;17:20–5.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE guideline [NG98]. Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management. England: NICE; 2018.
Evenhuis HM, Theunissen M, Denkers I, Verschuure H, Kemme H. Prevalence of visual and hearing impairment in a Dutch institutionalized population with intellectual disability. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2001;45:457–64.
Neumann K, Dettmer G, Euler HA, Giebel A, Gross M, Herer G. Auditory status of persons with intellectual disability at the German Special Olympic Games. Int J Audiol. 2006;45:83–90.
Yeates S. The incidence and importance of hearing loss in people with severe learning disability: the evolution of a service. Br J Learn Disabil. 1995;23:79–84.
Meuwese-Jongejeugd A, Vink M, van Zanten B, Verschuure H, Eichhorn E, Koopman D, Bernsen R, Evenhuis H. Prevalence of hearing loss in 1598 adults with an intellectual disability: cross-sectional population based study. Int J Audiol. 2006;45:660–9.
Buchanan LH. Early onset of presbyacusis in Down Syndrome. Scand Audio. 1990;19:103–10.
Bent S, McShea L, Brennan S. The importance of hearing: a review of the literature on hearing loss for older people with learning disabilities. Br J Learn Disabil. 2015;43:277–84.
Kumar SA, Montgomery JK, Herer GR, McPherson DL. Hearing screening outcomes for persons with intellectual disability: a preliminary report of findings from the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games. Int J Audiol. 2008;47:399–403.
Hey C, Fessler S, Hafner N, Lange BP, Euler HA, Neumann K. High prevalence of hearing loss at the Special Olympics: is this representative of people with intellectual disability? J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2014;27:125–33.
Emerson E, Felce D, Stancliffe RJ. Issues concerning self-report data and population-based data sets involving people with intellectual disabilities. Intellect Dev Disabil. 2013;51:333–48.
Pryce H, Gooberman-Hill R. ‘There's a hell of a noise’: living with a hearing loss in residential care. Age Ageing. 2012;41:40–6.
Kiani R, Miller H. Sensory impairment and intellectual disability. Adv Psychiatr Treat. 2010;16:228–53.
Andersson E, Arlinger S, Magnusson L, Hamrin E. Audiometric screening of a population with intellectual disability. Int J Audiol. 2013;52:50–6.
Evenhuis H, van Splunder J, Vink M, Weerdenburg C, van Zanten B, Stilma J. Obstacles in large-scale epidemiological assessment of sensory impairments in a Dutch population with intellectual disabilities. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2004;48:708–18.
McShea L. Managing hearing loss in primary care. Learn Disabil Pract. 2015;18:18–23.
Learning disabilities observatory. People with learning disabilities in England 2015: main report. London: Public Health England; 2016.
Benova L, Grundy E, Ploubidis GB. Socioeconomic position and health-seeking behavior for hearing loss among older adults in England. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2015;70:443–52.
Davis A, Smith P, Ferguson M, Stephens D, Gianopoulos I. Acceptability, benefit, and costs of early screening for hearing disability: a study of potential screening tests and models. Health Technol Assess. 2007;11:1–294.
Prasher VP. Screening of hearing impairment and its associated effects on adaptive behaviour in adults with down syndrome. Br J Dev Disabil. 1995;41:126–32.
Crandell CC, Roeser RJ. Incidence of excessive/impacted cerumen in individuals with mental retardation: a longitudinal investigation. Am J Ment Retard. 1993;97:568–74.
Smith WK, Mair R, Marshall L, Bilous S, Birchall MA. Assessment of hearing in persons with learning disabilities: the Phoenix NHS Trust, January 1997 to September 1998. J Laryngol Otol. 2000;114:940–3.
Fransman D. Can removal of back teeth contribute to chronic earwax obstruction. Br J Learn Disabil. 2006;34:36–41.
Sacks B, Wood A. Hearing disorders in children with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome News and Update. 2003;3:38–41.
Zigman WB. Atypical aging in Down syndrome. Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2013;18:51–67.
Pikora TJ, Bourke J, Bathgate K, Foley KR, Lennox N, Leonard H. Health conditions and their impact among adolescents and young adults with down syndrome. PLoS One. 2014;9:e96868.
Yeates S. Hearing impairment. In: Prasher V, Janicki M, editors. Physical health of adults with intellectual disabilities. 1st ed. Oxford: Blackwell; 2002. p. 111–32.
Admiraal RJ, Huygen PL. Causes of hearing impairment in deaf pupils with a mental handicap. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolarynol. 1999;51:101–8.
Savarimuthu D, Bunnell T. The effects of music on clients with learning disabilities: a literature review. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery. 2002;8:160–5.
Pagliano P. The multisensory handbook: a guide for children and adults with sensory learning disabilities. Milton Park, UK: Routledge; 2012.
Emerson E. Challenging behaviour: analysis and intervention in people with learning disabilities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1995.
Timehin C, Timehin E. Prevalence of hearing impairment in a community population of adults with learning disability: access to audiology and impact on behaviour. Br J Learn Disabil. 2004;32:128–32.
Sutton K, Thurman S. Challenging communication: people with learning disabilities who challenge services. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 1998;33(Suppl):415–20.
Kevan F. Challenging behaviour and communication difficulties. Br J Learn Disabil. 2003;31:71–80.
Miller H, Kiani R. Inter-relationships between hearing impairment, learning disability services and mental health: are learning disability services “deaf” to hearing impairments? Adv Ment Health Learn Disabil. 2008;2:25–30.
Carvill S. Sensory impairments, intellectual disability and psychiatry. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2001;45:467–83.
British Society of Audiology. Practice guidance: common principles of rehabilitation for adults in audiology services. UK: British Society of Audiology; 2016.
World Health Organisation. International classification of functioning, disability and health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001.
NHS England. Action plan on hearing loss. London: Department of Health; 2015.
Monitor. NHS adult hearing services in England: exploring how choice is working for patients. London: Monitor; 2015.
Krahn GL, Hammond L, Turner A. A cascade of disparities: health and health care access for people with intellectual disabilities. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2006;12:70–82.
Meuwese-Jongejeugd A, Verschuure H, Evenhuis HM. Hearing aids: expectations and satisfaction of people with an intellectual disability, a descriptive pilot study. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2007;51:913–22.
Coppens-Hofman MC, Koch HH, Maassen BAM, Snik AFM. Evaluating the subjective benefit of hearing rehabilitation in adults with intellectual disability. Hear Bal Commun. 2013;11:24–9.
McShea L, Fulton J, Hayes C. Paid support workers for adults with intellectual disabilities; their current knowledge of hearing loss and future training needs. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2016;29(5):422–32.
Hindhede AL. Disciplining the audiological encounter. Health Sociol Rev. 2010;19:100–13.
Gianopoulos I, Stephens D, Davis A. Follow up of people fitted with hearing aids after adult hearing screening: the need for support after fitting. Br Med J. 2002;325:471.
Kelly TB, Tolson D, Day T, McColgan G, Kroll T, Maclaren W. Older people’s views on what they need to successfully adjust to life with a hearing aid. Health Soc Care Community. 2013;21:293–302.
Pryce H, Gooberman-Hill R. Foundations of an intervention package to improve communication in residential care settings: a mixed methods study. Hear Bal Commun. 2013;11:30–8.
Janicki MP. Toward a rationale strategy for promoting healthy ageing amongst people with intellectual disabilities. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2001;14:171–4.
Newsam H, Walley RM, McKie K. Sensory impairment in adults with intellectual disabilities – an exploration of the awareness and practices of social care providers. J Policy Pract Intellect Disabil. 2010;7:211–20.
Ferguson MA, Brandreth M, Brassington W, Leighton P, Wharrad H. A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the benefits of a multimedia educational programme for first-time hearing aid users. Ear Hear. 2016;37:123–36.
McShea L. “I will make a difference” – training caregivers to improve the hearing of adults with learning disabilities. Brit J Healthc Assist. 2015;9:124–7.
McShea L. “I will make a difference”; using the 5As model to improve issues for adults with learning disabilities and hearing loss. In: Parsons R, editor. Learning disabilities: assessment, management and challenges. Hauppauge: Nova; 2016. p. 91–134.
Shames Y, Simpson J. Audiology’s struggle for independence. Hear J. 2012;65:26–30.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bent, S., Brennan, S., McShea, L. (2019). Hearing Impairment. In: Prasher, V., Janicki, M. (eds) Physical Health of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90083-4_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90083-4_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90082-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90083-4
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)