Balance Performance in 7 to 12 Year-Old Students with Hearing Loss in Qom Deaf Schools

The prevalence of moderate to profound hearing loss in children is 1 to 6 out of 1000. Children with deafness are at the risk of vestibular dysfunction. Since the vestibular apparatus triggers the vestibular reflex mechanisms that stabilize the eyes, head, and body in space, impairment of this mechanism will also affect postural sensibility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the balance performance in 7 to 12 year-old students with hearing loss in Qom deaf schools.
In the present study, the balance performance of 47 students with moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss in Qom deaf schools was evaluated using balance subtest of Bruiniks Ozeretsky test of motor proficiency. For data analysis, the means of standard scores in different gender and age groups were compared. Also, based on classification of standard scores in test manual, classification of balance performance in age and gender groups and then students’ distribution in the performance classifications were determined.
In each of the age groups, more than 50 percent and in each of gender groups 60 and more than 60 percent of the students had low balance performance. The means of their balance standard scores in each of age groups was 6 and less than 6 and in each of gender groups less than 6.
In the studied cases, most students in age and gender groups had low balance performance. The means of balance standard scores in age and gender groups indicate that balance performance level is low. These findings demonstrate that organizations related to hearing-impaired children such as Welfare Organization of Iran and Special Education Organization must pay more attention to balance rehabilitation in these children.