Abstract
Objective: This article describes the background and the design of the longitudinal outcomes of children with hearing impairment (LOCHI) study, and the characteristics of the study cohort. Design: Children born between 2002 and 2007 who were identified with hearing loss and received audiological intervention by 3 years of age in Australia enrolled in the study. Their demographic characteristics are described. Study sample: Four hundred and fifty-one children in New South Wales, Victoria, and Southern Queensland. Results: Data on age at first hearing-aid fitting for different degrees of hearing loss are reported together with demographic characteristics of the cohort. Conclusion: A unique environment in Australia where all children with varied access to universal newborn hearing screening received the same consistent hearing services from a national hearing service provider makes it possible to investigate the effects of access to early auditory intervention on children's outcomes at a population level.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S4-S9 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | International Journal of Audiology |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | S2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Children with hearing loss
- Early intervention
- Outcomes
- Universal newborn hearing screening