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7.3: Prevalence and Causes of Deafness and Hard of Hearing

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    Among students receiving special education services, 1% are identified as having a hearing impairment (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). However, not all students who have experienced hearing loss qualify for special education and related services. In addition, as identified earlier in this chapter, causes of hearing loss include conductive, sensorineural, and mixed hearing loss.

    However, the cause of hearing loss is not always identifiable. Genetic or environmental factors can also cause hearing loss. For example, approximately 30% of all cases of sensorineural hearing loss are genetic (Smith & Robin, 2002). Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disease that affects both hearing and vision. Other genetic disorders that cause hearing loss include Pendred syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome. Environmental causes of sensorineural hearing loss are aging, medications that cause hearing loss, exposure to noise, and infections. Maternal viruses or infections such as cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, and syphilis can also cause sensorineural hearing loss in children (Smiley et al., 2022).

    National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Students with disabilities. Condition of education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg.

    Smith, R.H., & Robin, N.H. (2002). Genetic testing for deafness – GJB2 and SLC26A4 as causes of deafness. Journal of Communication Disorders, 35(4), 367–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9924(02)00091-6

    Smiley, L. R., Richards, S.B., & Taylor, R. (2022). Exceptional students: Preparing teachers for the 21st century (4th ed.). McGraw Hill.

    This page titled 7.3: Prevalence and Causes of Deafness and Hard of Hearing is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Diana Zaleski (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI)) .