Description

Hearing loss is the most prevalent sensory
deficit in the human population.1 The
prevalence of permanent congenital hearing
loss in children is 3-4/1000. The introduction
of a well run Universal Neonatal Hearing
Screening programmes has greatly increased
the identification of affected children.
Significant hearing loss at any age may lead to
educational, economic and social disadvantages
to the individual and to the community. The
need for a solution to this important healthcare
problem and advances in current technology,
have led to a revolution in the rehabilitative
audiology. In this review, we highlight the
main recent developments in the management
of the hearing-impaired individual.
Rehabilitation requires the identification of the
individual with the hearing impairment and the
direction of resources to reduce the effect of
this impairment on disability and the resulting
educational, economic and social handicap.
The task requires the effort of a team including
audiologists, hearing therapists, otologists,
neuro-otologists, speech therapists, educational
audiologists, social services, hospital managers,
employers, educators, the voluntary societies,
the Internet, hearing aid manufacturers, and
the individuals and stakeholders affected.