Assessment and Treatment of Behavioral Disorders in Children with Hearing Loss

A Systematic Review

Bigler, Diana
Burke, Kristen
Laureano, Nicholas
Alfonso, Kristan MD
Jacobs, Julie MPH
Bush, Matthew L. MD, PhD

¹College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
²Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
³Department of Health, Behavior and Society, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

Matthew L. Bush, MD, PhD, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 800 Rose Street, Suite C-236, Lexington, KY 40536-0293, USA. Email: [email protected]

Received February 14, 2018

Received in revised form July 3, 2018

Accepted August 9, 2018

Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery 160(1):p 36-48, January 2019. | DOI: 10.1177/0194599818797598

Objective

There is evidence that children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) have a higher incidence of behavioral disorders. Assessment of behavioral health in this population is often complicated by language developmental delays, which may result in unrecognized and untreated behavioral problems. The purpose of this study is to assess the association of behavioral disorders among children who are DHH and to explore behavioral interventions for children in this population.

Data Sources

PubMed, CINALH, PsychINFO, and Web of Science.

Review Methods

Search terms included the following: problem behavior, child behavior disorders/diagnosis, child behavior disorders/psychology coupled with hearing loss, cochlear implants, hearing aids, or deafness. Studies from the last 30 years (1985-2016) were included. The articles were reviewed independently by 3 reviewers.

Results

Thirty-six articles met criteria. There was an association between internalizing behaviors and hearing loss among children, which may persist after cochlear implantation. These problems may be more pronounced for children with additional disabilities. Conduct and hyperactivity disorders as well as emotional and executive function problems among children who are DHH may be related to poor language development. There was limited evidence regarding interventions to address the behavioral disorders of DHH children.

Conclusions

There is a significant body of evidence demonstrating behavioral problems among DHH children but a lack of clear understanding of the mechanisms involved. There is limited evidence on interventions to address the behavioral problems of DHH children. Future research is warranted to mitigate the long-term effects of disruptive behavior among these children.