Assistive Technology needs assessment from adolescent students with hearing loss and their parents, Ahvaz city-2013 Print

This needs assessment study was aimed at estimating assistive devices needs of adolescent students with hearing impairment, in Ahvaz city. Assistive devices for people with hearing impairment were categorized into 6 groups according to their usage. Using stratified sampling a group of 72 students with hearing impairment, studying in secondary and high schools with special or mainstreaming setting along with their parents were chosen to participate in the study. Following signing informed consents, parents and students participated in structured interviews, at schools or by telephone respectively. Students were asked about their difficulties in 6 situations. Then assistive devices were introduced by showing pictures and describing their works and participants were asked if they have already known any of them, if they owned one, their needs and the first 3 priorities to meet their needs. Although 69(96%) students had digital hearing aids; 44(61%) reported difficulties in watching television, 66(92%) in using alarm clocks, 24(33%) in hearing door and telephone ringing, 63(88%) in using telephone, 14(19%) in face to face communication and 46 (64%) in class participation. Almost none of the participants were aware of existence of above mentioned assistive devices. After introducing the devices, each of the devices, were reported to be highly needed by 2(3%) to 69(96%) students and their parents. Adolescents with hearing impairment should be widely informed of assistive devices which could be useful to them. Findings on this study could be use in planning for providing assistive devices for adolescents with hearing impairments.