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Biomedical subjects

D Luterman

Publications and source records attributed to D Luterman.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Counseling families with a hearing-impaired child.

Parents are the linchpin of the family, and counseling for the young, newly diagnosed child with a hearing impairment needs to be directed at them. The operative rule for the counseling model described in this article is that feelings are neither good nor bad; they just are, and they need acknowledgment and acceptance, never judgment. Behavior can be judged as to whether or not it is productive, but parents never have to be responsible for how they feel. Armed with this nonjudgmental attitude toward emotions, the clinician can elicit them by empathetic listening.

Counseling↗

Identifying hearing loss: parents' needs.

Universal neonatal hearing screening programs are being established across the country at a rapidly accelerating rate, prompted by professional endorsement, legislated mandates, and available technology. The subsequent early identification of hearing impairment in infants will have significant impact on families as well as the audiologists who serve them. However, there have been no studies that surveyed parents of children who are deaf and or have hearing loss as to their opinions about early detection of hearing loss and the process that ensues after its detection. Here, we present the results of a retrospective survey of 75 parents whose children have known hearing loss. Their responses to a five-item questionnaire reflect parents' perspectives and identify key elements of a comprehensive management program: parent contact, unbiased information, sufficient time to process complex information, and counseling from a skilled, empathic audiologist. Implications for counseling issues and professional training are also discussed.

Adult↗

The denial mechanism.

The paper explains parental use of denial of hearing impairment as a defense mechanism. It explains the clinician's role and influence at such a critical time, and offers suggestions and strategies for guidance.

Adaptation, Psychological↗