Can You Hear What I Think? Theory of Mind in Young Children With Moderate Hearing Loss

Abstract

Children with MHL have more difficulty in their ToM reasoning than hearing peers, despite the fact that their language abilities lie within the average range compared with test normative samples.

False Belief Development in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing Compared With Peers With Normal Hearing

“…In contrast, significantly fewer CHH (41%) demonstrated the same level of understanding as a comparison group of CNH. The results suggest that a sizeable subgroup of CHH were delayed in FB understanding at age 5 years, which supports the findings of Netten et al (2017). In both this study and Netten et al, FB understanding was delayed in spite of CHH performing broadly within the average range on norm-referenced language measures.…”

“…To our knowledge, only one study has examined the ToM development in a contemporary group of CHH with early service access. Netten et al (2017) measured a variety of ToM skills, including first-order FB in a group of 3-to 5-year-old children with moderate hearing loss (35-70 dB HL) compared with hearing peers. All CHH used spoken language to communicate.…”

“…In their study of ToM abilities of CHH, Netten et al (2017) also identified language as a correlate of ToM performance. Although the CHH scored in the age-appropriate range on norm-referenced spoken-language measures, they lagged behind a control group of CNH on a parent report measure, further suggesting a role for language in FB understanding.…”

Understanding Pretend Emotions in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

“…While early access to language might be associated with ToM gains, some studies suggest that children who are DHH with a language level similar to that of hearing children still show ToM delays. For example, in the study by Netten et al (2017), children with moderate hearing loss (MHL) demonstrated difficulties in some aspects of ToM despite being within the normal range on standardized tests of spoken language. Similarly, Ketelaar, Rieffe, Wiefferink and Frijns (2012) found that children who are DHH with CIs were delayed in ToM even after controlling for verbal ability, and despite having received an implant before the age of 2 years on average.…”

Talk with me! Parental linguistic input to toddlers with moderate hearing loss

“…The exposure to this complex abstract language is not only beneficial for children's language development, but also for their social-emotional development. This is especially of interest in children with MHL since they encounter difficulties in their social-emotional development (Dirks et al, 2017;Laugen, Jacobsen, Rieffe, & Wichstrom, 2016Netten et al, 2015Netten et al, , 2017. Talking with children about their own and others' thoughts, desires, and feelings promotes their social-emotional development (Devine & Hughes, 2018;Drummond, Paul, Waugh, Hammond, & Brownell, 2014;Dunn, Brown, Slomkowski, Tesla, & Youngblade, 1991;Meins, 2013;Peterson & Slaughter, 2003).…”