Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Don J. Jones

Abstract

The federal Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act (EHDI) guarantees medical and communication interventions for deaf children and audiological, medical, and language intervention data collection. However, the policy and its implementation have not been analyzed in regard to policy goal attainment of deaf children’s language acquisition. A qualitative case study was conducted to analyze seven federal- and state-level early hearing screening policy websites and implementation and intermediary documents to assess the federal and state policy formation and implementation of EHDI. In addition to the document assessment, data were collected from interviews to obtain the perspectives of two early childhood educational program directors regarding the goal attainment of deaf children’s language acquisition. The conceptual frameworks guiding this policy analysis study were Nakamura and Smallwood’s policy environment model and Lenneberg’s language acquisition theory, specifically critical period of language acquisition theory. Policy content analysis was based on a document review of federal and state published policy documents for frequency and emphasis of hearing, speech, and language. The results of this case study indicate a slanted bias toward hearing instead of language within the early hearing screening policy and implementation. The results of this study could lead to potential implications of positive social change by assisting program implementers in addressing the language needs of deaf children and their families, which could lead to better academic outcomes for K-12 deaf children.

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