Hearing Loss in Children with complex medical or developmental problems

Details

Title

Hearing Loss in Children with complex medical or developmental problems

Type

Stage Two

Module code

HPS241

Requirement

Compulsory

Module objective

By the end of this module Clinical Scientists in HSST, with respect to children with complex medical or developmental problems, will be able to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply knowledge and perform a specialist assessment and treatment of hearing problems in these patients demonstrating the attitudes and behaviours necessary for the role of a Consultant Clinical Scientist within a patient focused service and in particular will: 

• perform an accurate audiological assessment of children with complex medical or developmental problems and also those children who are “difficult to assess”.
• suspect additional medical and developmental problems in children with a diagnosis of deafness and refer appropriately.
• diagnose and manage deafness in these children.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of this module Clinical Scientists in HSST will analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply their expert knowledge required with respect to: 

• the signs and symptoms of hearing loss in children with complex medical problems including visual impairment.
• possible psychological /educational issues for children with additional difficulties and hearing loss, particularly in relation to their special needs, and their immediate and long term management.
• the impact of additional medical and developmental problems for the deaf child and family.
• methods of assessing benefit and problems with amplification.
• possible psychological /cultural issues surrounding deafness, particularly in relation to the child’s additional difficulties, and their immediate and long term management.
• Child safeguarding.

Technical and clinical skills

By the end of this module Clinical Scientists in HSST will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of current research and its application to the performance and mastery of a range of technical skills whilst critically reflecting and applying in practice a range of clinical and communication skills to advise and communicate effectively with children and their families or carers and other healthcare professionals and will:

• take an accurate and sensitive history and perform a reliable audiovestibular examination as appropriate in the role of Consultant Clinical Scientist.
• identify the importance of additional developmental problems on audiovestibular status
• select, perform and interpret appropriate audiovestibular tests and test strategies.
• identify when to adapt tests to the abilities of the child and the priorities of the assessment.
• discuss with the child, parents or carers the results of assessment
• liaise with an audiovestibular physician or paediatrician with regard to additional investigations which may be required in this group of children.
• assess correctly benefits and problems of intervention and communicate the advantages and disadvantages of these interventions to the child and parents or carers.
• reflect on the challenges of applying research to practice in relation to these areas of practice and suggest improvements, building on a critique of available evidence.

Attitudes and behaviours

By the end of this module Clinical Scientists in HSST will be expected to evaluate their own response to both normal and complex situations demonstrating the professional attributes and insights required of a Consultant Clinical Scientist working within the limits of professional competence referring as appropriate to senior staff and will:

• recognise the anxiety and stress caused by additional medical or developmental problems identified in a deaf child and respond appropriately.
• recognise the combined effect of deafness with other special needs for the child and family.
• recognise the importance of involvement of other professionals in the investigation and management of children with deafness and additional needs.
• recognise the value of identification of hearing loss as an additional difficulty
• behave empathetically towards the child and parents/carers.
• recognise the importance of child safeguarding.
• be committed to and support continuous improvement of therapeutic services, with particular reference to auditing practice, evidence based practice, innovative, new and improved technologies.