Influència de les noves generacions d'audiòfons digitals, dels implants coclears, del garbellament neonatal i de l'educació a temps en l'evolució psíquica i lingüística de la criatura sorda

(...) This project is based on the premise that, currently, the diagnosis and prompt care of deafness, together with technological advances, should permit full mental and linguistic development for most deaf children who obtain such help in their first years of life, as shown in the results of studies from other countries (Yoshinaga 2003). This should represent a high level of normalisation in school life from the age of 7/8 years and consequent savings in the resources that are currently required to provide specialist care throughout the school life. However, the reality is that, firstly, these optimum conditions are not provided to all deaf children and, secondly, when provided they do not always produce the expected results, due to a number of factors, of which educational ones are particularly important. This project focuses on this second aspect and examines the factors that may be of influence, as well as the procedures that need to be improved. The possible influencing factors considerers are the following: -suitability of the hearing aid to the characteristics of hearing loss and subsequent monitoring; -suitability of the speech therapy methodology and the possibilities of taking advantage of participants' hearing; -quality of speech therapy treatment with regard to stimulating mental and linguistic development; -quality of family guidance and counselling and communication in the family environment; -suitability of adaptations made to educational environment, pre-school and early infant school, to the needs of deaf pupils. Special attention will be given to adaptations made to meet the needs of pupils from other cultural communities that the one in which they are studying