Dilemma of family education for hearing-impaired children in China: Responsibility or evasion?

Abstract

Due to the difficulty in identifying and monitoring factors that cause hearing impairment during pregnancy, large numbers of new hearing-impaired children are born every year. Children's hearing impairment can have an impact on all aspects of the family. Family education, as an important element of family function, plays a key role in the growth and development of hearing-impaired children and in improving the interaction between hearing-impaired children and their parents. Based on a qualitative study in central China, this article examines the current situation and dilemmas of family education for hearing-impaired children. Results show that families of hearing-impaired children generally have a tendency to avoid family education responsibilities, as demonstrated by the lack of family roles, low participation in specific family education, absence of communication and care functions and a laissez-faire approach to bringing up their children. This evasive tendency cannot simply be attributed to parental irresponsibility; rather, it is the result of a combination of four factors and is closely related to insufficient social support. In the short term, a two-pronged approach is needed: strengthening the government's responsibility and rendering assistance for families with hearing-impaired children on the one hand, and establishing reliable links between home and school to provide professional support on the other. In the long run, it is necessary to build up a social support mechanism with social work intervention. This paper puts forward the need for collaboration among multiple parties and a family-centred assistance model to promote a shift from the tendency towards evasion to active assumption of family responsibility.