Here is the list of Top 10 Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss research priorities agreed by adults with lived experience and professionals. If you see a research question highlighted in colour, it means that question also appears in the children’s Top 10 list!
You can find the BSL video of the list of priorities at the bottom of this page.
1
Special educational needs
What are the best ways to support the special educational needs of deaf children, including children with multiple special education needs, to improve educational outcomes; what support is being provided currently in different school settings, and how effective is it?
2
Self-advocacy
How can deaf children be empowered to advocate for themselves, understand their deafness, develop confidence and independence, and be prepared for adulthood?
3
Family relationships
How can families be supported to build positive relationships and communicate well with their deaf child, and how does this affect language, cognition and social-emotional development?
4
Mild and unilateral deafness
What is the impact of mild deafness or unilateral deafness on the outcomes of children and young people, and do hearing technology and educational interventions help?
5
Deaf identity
How can deaf children develop a positive Deaf identity/sense of self, feel accepted in both the Deaf and hearing communities, and what is the impact of Deaf culture and role models?
6
Language deprivation
How can language deprivation be identified early, what are its impacts, and what interventions can help?
7
Access to learning BSL
What are the availability, barriers and enablers to learning and using British Sign Language (BSL) for deaf children of all ages, their families and professionals across the UK?
8
Communication choices
How do communication choices, like British Sign Language (BSL), spoken language, or a combination of both, affect deaf children’s mental health, education, and well-being, and how can this be communicated to families to ensure informed choice(s)?
9
Glue ear
What are the causes, prevalence and impact of glue ear, and which interventions and clinical pathways are most effective in supporting families and improving outcomes?
10
Speech and language interventions
Which interventions are the most effective in developing speech and/or language skills in deaf children?
Childhood Deafness Research Network 