Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss Executive Director Paige Stringer recently completed a research study in Mongolia in collaboration with the Mongolia Ministry of Health and the University of Washington.
The aim of the qualitative study was to understand the experience in Mongolia for those families who choose the listening and spoken language communication modality after their babies and young children are identified with hearing loss.
The study featured focus groups discussions and interviews with professionals and families. It had two objectives: 1) to elicit strengths and weaknesses in the current delivery of pediatric hearing health care services, and 2) to identify cultural, economic, and social enablers and barriers that motivate or demotivate families as they progress along the continuum of care.
The results revealed a need in the communities outside of the capital of Ulaanbaatar for greater awareness of pediatric hearing loss and more professional expertise and services to support families of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The Global Foundation will use the findings as a guide for future work and looks forward to continued collaboration with its Mongolia partners to address these opportunity areas. The full study is in the process of being prepared for journal publication.