軽度言語聴覚障害児が抱える問題―聴覚障害児の場合

Speech and language problems in children with mild to moderate hearing impairment

　軽・中等度聴覚障害児の抱える問題について，文献的な概説と自験例を検討し，次のようなことがわかった．軽・中等度聴覚障害児は，音声言語のみならず文字言語においても遅れる傾向がある．言語発達の遅れが軽・中等度の聴覚障害によることもあるので，滲出性中耳炎の有無など聴覚検査を含む詳細な評価の実施を検討すべきである．軽・中等度聴覚障害は，発見が遅れる傾向にあるため，指導期間が短期間となる，補聴器の装用指導がうまくいかない，常用にならないことがある，さらに，軽・中等度聴覚障害児の聞こえについて，家族や周囲の人が十分に理解せず，言語環境が適切でない場合がある．

　言語聴覚士は，聴覚障害児のおかれている言語環境を念頭におき，家族を中心とした周囲への働きかけとして，補聴器装用状況の確認や装用指導，言語発達の遅れ，構音障害などについて説明や理解促進などの指導を行うことが必要である．

　We investigated speech and language problems in mildly to moderately hearing-impaired children based on our own cases as well as literature review.　The results obtained were as follows.　(1) The development of both written and oral language skills in children with mild to moderate hearing impairment tends to be delayed.　(2) It is necessary for children with delayed language development to receive detailed audiometric tests.　(3) Mild to moderate hearing impairment tends to be overlooked and initial medical examination tends to be delayed.　For this reason, children with mild to moderate hearing impairment may not receive adequate counseling and training necessary for making effective use of hearing aids.　(4) Children with mild to moderate hearing impairment are often not in the most suitable environment for their speech and language development, because their family and friends do not understand problems associated with the hearing impairment.　It is necessary for children with mild to moderate hearing impairment that speech-language-hearing therapists make effective use of hearing aids and inform the family about delayed language development and articulation disorder.　It is very important to detect mild to moderate hearing impairment in children and to provide guidance and habilitation from speech-language-hearing therapists as early as possible.