Resources for Deaf people with SI needs
This page includes some resources and information that might be useful for professionals supporting Deaf individuals where sensory integration needs may be impacting participation and engagement.
Please be aware that we cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites and links, and the inclusion of links to external organisations does not imply endorsement or recommendation of that organisation more generally. You must ALWAYS exercise clinical judgement about the resources you use, and be able to demonstrate a clear clinical rationale for their use.
Please let me know if any links are broken or missing.
Selected research papers
Prevalence and background information for Deafness and additional needs
Szymanski, C.A., Brice, P.J., Lam, K.H. et al. Deaf Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 2027–2037 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1452-9
Fitzpatrick, E. M., Lambert, L., Whittingham, J., & Leblanc, E. (2014). Examination of characteristics and management of children with hearing loss and autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Audiology, 53(9), 577–586. https://doi.org/10.3109/14992027.2014.903338
Intersectionality and Deafness
Ahmad, W. I., Atkin, K., & Jones, L. (2002). Being deaf and being other things: young Asian people negotiating identities. Social science & medicine (1982), 55(10), 1757–1769. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(01)00308-2
Assessment and differential diagnosis
McFayden TC, Culbertson S, DeRamus M, Kramer C, Roush J, Mankowski J. Assessing Autism in Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Youths: Interdisciplinary Teams, COVID Considerations, and Future Directions. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2023 Nov;18(6):1492-1507. doi: 10.1177/17456916231178711. Epub 2023 Jun 14. PMID: 37314896; PMCID: PMC10271818.
Wright, B., Phillips, H., Allgar, V., Sweetman, J., Hodkinson, R., Hayward, E., Ralph-Lewis, A., Teige, C., Bland, M., & Le Couteur, A. (2021). Adapting and validating the Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised for use with deaf children and young people. Autism, 26(2), 446-459. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211029116 (Original work published 2022)
Professionals supporting Deaf plus individuals
Brenman, N.F., Hiddinga, A. & Wright, B. Intersecting Cultures in Deaf Mental Health: An Ethnographic Study of NHS Professionals Diagnosing Autism in D/deaf Children. Cult Med Psychiatry 41, 431–452 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-017-9526-y
Borders, C. M., Jones Bock, S., & Probst, K. M. (2016). A Review of Educational Practices for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students with Comorbid Autism. Deafness & Education International, 18(4), 189–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/14643154.2016.1255416
Deafness and sensory integration
Koester, A. C., Mailloux, Z., Coleman, G. G., Mori, A. B., Paul, S. M., Blanche, E., Muhs, J. A., Lim, D., & Cermak, S. A. (2014). Sensory integration functions of children with cochlear implants. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 68(5), 562–569. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.012187
Alkhamra, R. A., & Abu-Dahab, S. M. N. (2020). Sensory processing disorders in children with hearing impairment: Implications for multidisciplinary approach and early intervention. International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 136, 110154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110154
Tekin Dal, B., Çetin, B., Şimşek, E. N., & Bumin, G. (2024). Exploring sensory processing abilities in adults with acquired hearing loss. The Journal of laryngology and otology, 138(5), 496–502. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022215123001779
Deafness, vestibular differences and postural-ocular skills
Hazen, M., & Cushing, S. L. (2020). Implications of Concurrent Vestibular Dysfunction in Pediatric Hearing Loss. Current Otorhinolaryngology Reports, 8(3), 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40136-020-00298-3/METRICS
Cushing, S. L., & Papsin, B. C. (2018). Cochlear Implants and Children with Vestibular Impairments. Seminars in Hearing, 39(3), 305–320. https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0038-1666820
Thierry, B., Blanchard, M., Leboulanger, N., Parodi, M., Wiener-Vacher, S. R., Garabedian, E. N., & Loundon, N. (2015). Cochlear implantation and vestibular function in children. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 79(2), 101–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJPORL.2014.11.002
Singh, A., Raynor, E. M., Lee, J. W., Smith, S. L., Heet, H., Garrison, D., Wrigley, J., Kaylie, D. M., & Riska, K. M. (2021). Vestibular Dysfunction and Gross Motor Milestone Acquisition in Children With Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review. Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States), 165(4), 493–506. https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599820983726
Zarei, H., Norasteh, A. A., Lieberman, L. J., Ertel, M. W., & Brian, A. (2024). Balance Control in Individuals with Hearing Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Audiology and Neurotology, 29(1), 30–48. https://doi.org/10.1159/000531428
Jacot, E., van den Abbeele, T., Debre, H. R., & Wiener-Vacher, S. R. (2009). Vestibular impairments pre- and post-cochlear implant in children. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 73(2), 209–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJPORL.2008.10.024
Deafness and motor skills/coordination
Fellinger, M. J., Holzinger, D., Aigner, M., Beitel, C., & Fellinger, J. (2015). Motor performance and correlates of mental health in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 57(10), 942–947. https://doi.org/10.1111/DMCN.12814;SUBPAGE:STRING:FULL
Shield, A., Knapke, K., Henry, M., Srinivasan, S., & Bhat, A. (2017). Impaired praxis in gesture imitation by deaf children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 2. https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941517745674
Bhat, A. N., Srinivasan, S. M., Woxholdt, C., & Shield, A. (2016). Differences in praxis performance and receptive language during fingerspelling between deaf children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 22(3), 271-282. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361316672179
Deafness and attention/cognition load
Lima, J. V. da S., de Morais, C. F. M., Zamberlan-Amorim, N. E., Mandrá, P. P., & Reis, A. C. M. B. (2023). Neurocognitive function in children with cochlear implants and hearing aids: a systematic review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17, 1242949. https://doi.org/10.3389/FNINS.2023.1242949/TEXT
Deafness and language outcomes
de Stefano, P., Pisani, F., & Cossu, G. (2019). Diverse Linguistic Development in Prelingually Deaf Children with Cochlear Implants. Behavioural Neurology, 2019(1), 1630718. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/1630718