Research: Experiences and Perceptions of Multilingual Families with Late-diagnosed Deaf Children and Their Teachers Project

About this project

This research explores the experiences and perceptions of late-diagnosed deaf children within multilingual families, aiming to understand the impact of late diagnosis on these families. The study covers families across Scotland and has received full ethical approval.

We know that early diagnosis is important, but many children are still diagnosed late, even with new-born hearing tests. This can affect their education, language development, and access to important services. By listening to families, we hope to learn more about the challenges they face and improve support for them.

For Families

If your child:

• Was born deaf
• Did not pass the new-born hearing screening test
• Was initially misdiagnosed with normal hearing
• Was later correctly diagnosed as deaf
• Your family speaks more than one language at home and lives in Scotland

Or, if your child:

• Was diagnosed deaf in your first country but not at birth
• May have experienced difficulties in accessing hearing aids and/or sign language because your family is refugee or migrant.

We invite you to participate in this study.

Your experiences are incredibly valuable in helping us understand what support is needed. By sharing your story, you will help improve services for other families and ensure that deaf children receive the best possible care.

For Teachers

If you know of any families with a late-diagnosed deaf child in a multilingual home, we kindly ask you to share this study with them or encourage them to get in touch. Your involvement can help these families access the support they need and contribute to important research that benefits the wider community.

If you are interested in participating or would like more information about the study, please contact us. Thank you for considering being a part of this important research!

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Images: Happy Vectors by klyaksun on Vecteezy; Sign language concepts by Storyset on Freepik