"It's a hearing world" : parents' perspectives of the social and emotional well-being of children who are deaf and hard of hearing

Children with disabilities are known to experience bullying. This study explores parents’  perspectives of the social and emotional well-being of children who are Deaf and Hard of  Hearing (DHH). A combination of social theories guided this research — the social  model of disability, the ‘looking glass self’ theory, and the concept of bi-directionality.  Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 hearing, English-speaking  parents of children with hearing loss. All parents voiced instances, based on their  observations, where their children have had negative social experiences. Specific analyses  of these experiences provided evidence of parental and child activities where threats of  rejection and exclusion were minimized. As a result of previous experiences, children  showed adaptive responses in order to avoid social situations that threaten their social and  emotional well-being. Future implications for this research suggest that we prioritize the  social and emotional well-being of children with disabilities, perhaps starting by creating  conditions wherein these children are able to build friendships.  

Keywords: parents, children, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, well-being, friendship