UPDATE: CDC Features Research on Hearing Loss and Kindergarten Readiness
Research By: Jareen Meinzen-Derr, PhD, MPH
Post Date: November 17, 2020 | Publish Date: Sept. 28, 2020
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently selected research led by a scientist at Cincinnati Children’s to be featured on its hearing loss home page.
Jareen Meinzen-Derr, PhD, MPH, FACE, was lead author of a paper published Sept. 28, 2020, in the journal Pediatrics that found children who received early intervention before the age of six months were more likely to be kindergarten-ready than children with later intervention,
The project involved study data from more than 1,700 children that was gathered from three state agencies that work with children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing—the Ohio Departments of Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Education.
Children who received intervention before the age of six months were more likely to demonstrate kindergarten readiness, regardless of hearing loss severity levels, race, or gender.
Read more about the study on the Cincinnati Children’s Research Horizons blog.
Listen to Dr. Meinzen-Derr discuss her findings on the Pediatrics On Call podcast
To further understand how different interventions enhance academic readiness, the research team will continue following these kids through the third grade, tracking standardized test scores and reading levels. Another goal is to replicate the study on a newborn cohort as practices and policies change over time.
“When you’re a parent with a newborn, you might not think about what’s going to happen when they are in kindergarten, but this is why it’s very important to understand your child’s hearing screen results,” says Meinzen-Derr. “It is essential to receive a diagnosis and get them into early intervention if hearing loss is identified, even in infancy. We simply want to ensure that every child has the best opportunities possible in life.”
Resources for Families
| Original title: | Kindergarten Readiness in Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Who Received Early Intervention |
| Published in: | Pediatrics |
| Publish date: | Sept. 28, 2020 |
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