No abstract

The results indicate that multiple factors need to be considered by clinicians working with children with HL and their families to determine how each child functions within their own environment and personal contexts, consistent with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Such an approach is likely to empower clinicians to carefully balance potential barriers to, and facilitators of, optimal speech and language outcomes for all children with HL.

No abstract

Bilateral renal agenesis (BRA) was diagnosed antenatally in one of like-sexed (probably monozygotic) twins. This is the first report of such a diagnosis. The difficulties of certain sonographic diagnosis of BRA are outlined and are possibly compounded in twin pregnancy in the presence of growth retardation/oligohydramnios of one of the twins. Recent evidence suggests that BRA is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern with reduced penetrance and variable expressivity. The discordance for BRA in twins, even mono.zygotic twins, has been relatively frequent suggesting a possible role of environmental influences in the expression of the anomaly. Genetic counseling should include renal evaluation of asymptomatic parents and siblings and early detailed ultrasound evaluation of fetal kidneys in all subsequent pregnancies.

Many children with hearing loss have atypical social communication skills despite having age-appropriate speech and language. Graduate assessments in an early intervention program for children with hearing loss indicated that despite achieving language skills within typical limits for over a decade, social skills development was frequently delayed. Data gathered in 2007 and 2012 indicated the majority of children with hearing loss demonstrated poor acquisition of concepts linked to theory of mind (ToM), achieving either delayed or alternative acquisition patterns. A small-group 8-week social skills intervention program was subsequently implemented for graduating cohorts with the aim of developing and improving social interactions. In 2017, measures of ToM were collected for 15 children with hearing loss aged 4–6 years and compared to ToM 2007 and 2012 cohort data. An additional measure of social understanding and flexibility, a persuasion task, was also implemented. Although ToM skills for the majority of the 2017 cohort were found to be on par with hearing peers, and were better than skills demonstrated by the 2007 and 2012 graduates, ability to successfully participate in a socially significant persuasion task with a peer was delayed. Challenges and solutions to the development of age-appropriate social skills are proposed.