Counseling Adolescents with Hearing Loss with the Use of Self-Assessment/Significant Other Questionnaires

After adapting a pair of adult Self-Assessment/Significant Other questionnaires, the first author explored the value of the modified questionnaires in providing counseling to adolescents with hearing loss. Twenty adolescents with hearing loss served as subjects; peers with normal hearing were selected as their Significant Other to capitalize on the importance of peer relationships and opinions during adolescence. Each dyad completed a 12-item questionnaire designed to explore the communicative, emotional, and social impact of hearing loss. Responses to each pair of questionnaires were reviewed by the adolescent and the audiologist and served as a basis for counseling. Subsequent dialogues revealed recurring themes as the teens attempted to face age-appropriate developmental challenges as individuals with hearing loss. Based on their responses to a follow-up questionnaire, most of the adolescents found the counseling process beneficial.