Longford children can benefit from new national deaf team

Longford children can benefit from a new national team launched to ensure additional complex needs among the deaf and hard of hearing are diagnosed and treated.

The mother of a deafblind teenager says the €470,000 multi-disciplinary team will be a “game changer” in confronting missed, delayed or inappropriate diagnosis of additional issues for deaf and hard of hearing youngsters. A delay in securing proper treatment for 16-year-old Seán McManus Allen forced his parents to secure private treatment. Now it is hoped that the launch of this new national team will help to prevent other children and young adults  in Longford and around the country from  having  to endure the same experience.

Up to now, deaf and hard of hearing children with complex needs have been assessed against the benchmark of those who can hear. The team which is funded by the HSE have started their work at the national deafness and hearing loss charity which is called ' Chime' in Cabra , Dublin. The new team will address the growing rate of socio-emotional difficulties among young people who are deaf or hard of hearing - currently over three times that of the typical hearing population. They will also provide support to children and families with a particular focus on early intervention , this includes occupational and speech and language therapy and psychological support.