A Good Start Parents’ evaluations of support following Newborn Hearing Screening in Trondheim, Norway

Health and education joining forces Psykolog Nina J. Laugen

Background  Universal Newborn Hearing Screening since 2002 in Trondheim  Hospital and educational services developed a common follow-up model  Quick initiation of diagnostic assessments  Parents get to meet professionals and other families soon after diagnosis

Our study, A Good Start:  An evaluation of parent follow-up: Do they get the support they need?  Sample: Parents to children identified through Newborn Hearing screening  Two studies: –Research interviews –Questionnaires

Research interviews:  6 families from the sample were interviewed –Ages of children: 1-6 years old –Differing types of hearing loss  Open interviews: What are parents’ views on –Having a child with hearing loss –Support and follow-up from screening until today  Phenomenological approach

What do parents tell us?  Information given at point of screening  Living with uncertainties

Screening:  Possible explanations for refer: –Instrumental errors?- Fluid? –Ear channel too small?- Hearing loss?  The possibility of hearing loss fades, or parents prefer the other explanations ”There were so many explanations… of course you embrace them, in a quite stressed situation.”

Screening skills  Experienced screeners, confidence in result  Balanced information about possible causes: –Hearing loss is an actual possibility  Being able to handle parents’ worries, instead of reassuring too early

Screening skills…  Detailed knowledge about what happens next  Acknowledging the importance of meeting on further appointments  Communication between Department of Audiology and Screening personnel is essential Psykolog Nina J. Laugen

Coping with uncertainties  What caused the hearing loss?  What does my child hear and not hear?  What about my baby’s language development?  Often, we don’t yet have an answer!

 ”We wanted more support, so we wouldn’t have to sit alone trying to figure out something someone already knew”  ”Of course we felt insecure, but even the hospital didn’t know any more than us. They told us everything they knew, and that was ok.”

Being comfortable despite uncertainties  Feeling insecure, and suspecting that there is some information out there, that is not available to you versus  Feeling insecure, but also confident that everything there is to tell, has been told by the professionals Psykolog Nina J. Laugen

”Will he be able to talk?”  Why don’t we get a clear answer? –Lack of experience? –Not updated? –No time or interest?  Can we help parents by offering an outline of the complexities?  Don’t save information for later  We are not to decide the pace of parents’ information processing Psykolog Nina J. Laugen

A Good Start – the questionnaires:  Extensive questionnaire sent to the whole sample, about 70 families  Details about follow-up, emphasizing information needs  Parenting Stress Index (Abidin 1995): Stress and coping in the parental role  To be finished spring 2011

Summary: The importance of competent screening personnel Uncertainties are easier to handle when information about reasons of uncertainties is given Thank you! Psykolog Nina J. Laugen