Identifying Comorbid Hearing Loss and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children

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  • February 22, 2019
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  • Steinwascher, Brooke
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Allied Health Sciences, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences
  • Romero, Irene
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Allied Health Sciences, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences
  • Hopper, Alissa
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Allied Health Sciences, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences
Abstract
  • Purpose or Research Questions: What evidence-based practices are currently available for identifying children with dual diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and hearing loss? Background Despite the evidence that hearing loss (HL) is more prevalent in people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) than in the general population, very little research is available to provide clinical providers with tools and evidence-based practices to identify Autism Spectrum Disorders in children with hearing loss and vice-versa. Methods/Proposed Methods: The authors conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed journal articles published between January 1, 2007 and January 31, 2017 and available in English. The authors used the following databases in the search: CINAHL, PubMed, ERIC, PsycInfo. The search terms were (autis* OR ASD OR “Autism Spectrum Disorder” OR Asperger* OR “Pervasive Developmental Disorder” OR PDD*) AND (“hearing loss” OR deaf* OR “hearing impair*” OR “hard of hearing”) AND (diagnos* OR screen* OR identif* OR assess*). Two authors independently reviewed each article for inclusion or exclusion based on the following criteria: the article addressed the pediatric population (21 and younger), the article addressed comorbid hearing loss and autism spectrum disorder, and the article discussed methods or tools for identifying or diagnosing either hearing loss or autism spectrum disorder. First the authors reviewed articles by title and abstract only and then by full text. Articles that were not empirical in nature were excluded. Two authors independently completed an article appraisal for each article that met all inclusion/exclusion criteria. Two authors independently completed data extraction for each article. Results/Anticipated Results: Few studies have examined the pediatric population with comorbid hearing loss and autism spectrum disorder. There is an absence of standardized procedures and tools appropriate for use in screening and diagnosis with this population. However, several small studies have found tools and techniques that hold promise as screens, red flags, and important information to observe and consider when evaluating a child for hearing loss and autism spectrum disorder. Discussion (e.g., interpretation of results; potential contribution of anticipated results) (Please note: We have not completed our data extraction and may be able to provide a discussion with more specific indications for future research and for current practice when that process is complete.) With the implementation of newborn hearing screenings, early identification of hearing loss has improved. However, because some characteristics of young, typically developing deaf children can resemble characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders, identification of autism spectrum disorders in the deaf population is often delayed. Existing evaluations for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders among the hearing population are inadequate for diagnosis in the population with hearing loss. Studies have indicated several adaptations to and applications of existing assessments as well as observational red flags that can help distinguish between behaviors attributable to hearing loss and those characteristic of autism spectrum disorders. An obstacle to producing a standardized assessment tool for this population is the small population size. It is important that a professional with experience in both pediatric hearing loss and pediatric autism spectrum disorder use all available information to diagnose the presence of both of these disorders in an individual.
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  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Department of Allied Health Sciences. Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Student Research Day (9th: 2017: Chapel Hill, NC)
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  • May 5, 2017

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