Assessment of hearing in the special school for deaf in Makassar, Indonesia.

---

Masyita Gaffar, Mahdi Umar

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar,  Indonesia

: J Otol Rhinol

Abstract

---

Approximately one to two newborns per one thousand newborns have moderate, severe or profound hearing loss. Unfortunately, hearing loss often is not detected until a child is 2,3 or even 4 years old. For children with moderate or unilateral hearing loss, it was not unusual to find that they weren’t identified as hard of hearing until kindergarten. We report four out of 94 students (4,25%) of the special school for Deaf in Makassar , Indonesia with moderate sensorineural hearing loss. One of four students fitted of hearing aid since 10 years old and can speak fluently and most of his speech is understandable, but still use sign language if he talk to other students. Three of them never fitted hearing aid and one of them with bilateral moderate sensorineural can speak fluently and more of her speech is understandable, but she prefer use sign language to communicate with friends and teachers. Two of them use sign language but still try to speak to normal people eventhough more of their speech is difficult to understand but still have a few understandable words. It is well established that children with moderate hearing loss can develop better hearing and speech if they have early amplification and undergo speech therapy (rehabilitation). The failure to identify hearing loss at a young age can have serious implications for a child’s speech.

Biography

---

Masyita Gaffar is an otology consultan in the Hasanuddin teaching hospital and lecturer in education institution medical Faculty of Hasanuddin University. She has work as a medical specialist and doing research on genetics and hearing in Indonesian ethnics

Email:sita_gaffar@yahoo.com