Growing up as a child with hearing loss in a deaf family
Hearing loss significantly influences the development of communication and linguistic skills through diverse pathways. When children with hearing loss are born to Deaf parents, their developmental needs become increasingly nuanced, shaped by family structure, cultural identity, and communication modalities. Research indicates that the specific modalities employed by primary caregivers at home directly dictate a child's linguistic and cognitive trajectory. While Deaf parents typically provide a rich, multimodal environment from birth through sign language and visual-tactile strategies, hearing parents often prioritize spoken language in alignment with conventional early intervention frameworks. Although timely, high-quality interventions can enable many children to reach peer-level spoken performance, such models may be insufficient for those with differentiated needs. A bilingual/bicultural approach, integrating both signed and spoken languages, offers the highest developmental gains for children of Deaf parents. However, in Türkiye, deficiencies in early intervention programs hinder the implementation of these inclusive models. This study provides a comprehensive single-case analysis of a child with hearing loss raised by Deaf parents to identify the factors shaping early childhood development. Data were triangulated through playgroup observations, researcher/teacher journals, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Findings suggest that parental modality preferences, communicative sensitivity within the family, and the continuity of specialized education are critical determinants of progress. Notably, the child’s education was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, regional agricultural cycles, and residential instability, all of which adversely affected linguistic outcomes. To maximize developmental potential, this study recommends extending education periods in special education developing culturally sensitive playgroups, and integrating specialized educators.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nagihan Baş, Halil İbrahim Çakır
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Article Information
- Article Type Research Articles
- Submitted March 1, 2026
- Accepted March 24, 2026
- Published March 30, 2026
- Issue Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): Pedagogical Perspective (March)
- Section Research Articles
