Researchers use game to discover hearing loss

Game could be key to detecting hearing difficulties

Research being conducted by USQ and Queensland Health in Springfield schools could make all the difference to how educators identify students with hearing difficulties.

Through this partnership, researchers hope to discover if teachers can use a simple classroom game to identify children with a mild to moderate hearing loss.

USQ Program Coordinator for Special Education, Dr Jan Stenton said the project was specifically looking at teachers and children in Prep to Year 3 classes.

'It can be difficult for teachers to identify children with mild to moderate hearing loss as they can hear in quiet situations or when directly spoken to,' Dr Stenton said.

'It is when surrounded by noise that the children find it difficult to hear. They can actually miss out on quite a bit of classroom talk due to noise from the other children, background noise in the classroom or even outside noise.

'This can lead to dramatic downturns in their academic results as they are missing out on classroom directions and instructions and are often getting into trouble for not doing what they have been asked to.

'Research I have conducted previously has shown that children who spend many months with mild to moderate hearing loss are at risk of long term academic, social and behavioural problems. Catching the problem early is key to turning things around.'

Dr Stenton said teachers from Springfield Lakes State School and Woodcrest College would be using a game called Blind Man’s Simon Says in the classroom over coming weeks to try to identify children experiencing hearing difficulties.

'The game was developed by a Darwin educational psychologist, Dr Damien Howard and has been used by teachers before, but to date it hasn’t been formally tested in a research environment.

'It is a fun game and simple for teachers to learn and for children to play. It is best if teachers are the people using the game as they are at the frontline, working with children in sometimes noisy learning environments.

'If the game is successful, we would like to see educators and health professionals such as school nurses introducing it to teachers. They could then play the game on a regular basis with their classes to check if anyone is experiencing problems hearing. The game is particularly relevant for use with young children as they experience middle ear problems more frequently than older children.'

Dr Stenton said an Ipswich Hospital child health nurse would provide support and act as a researcher for the project.

'The nurse will work closely with the families of children who may need follow-up care with their GP or the hospital’s audiology department.'

As part of the research, audiology students from the University of Queensland (UQ) are conducting hearing tests of the students and their findings will be passed on to the schools and parents.

Contact Details:
Jo-Ann Sparrow, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4119 or 0438 309 096