Supporting Adolescent Postsecondary Transition: The Role of the Audiologist Through the Lens of Social Capital.

Abstract

Social capital-the benefits, such as access to information, support, and resources, that flow from personal relationships and social networks-can play a significant role in the transition from school to postschool life and can be particularly helpful for young people who are Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). This article provides an overview of a two-stage qualitative study that, in the first stage, retrospectively investigated the earlier social capital experiences of DHH university students and how these had assisted their transition from high school to postsecondary education. The second stage explored these students' views on ways in which professionals and parents can support adolescents' development and use of social capital that most benefits their postschool transition. Ten DHH university students whose primary communication mode was spoken language participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of the study's findings specific to the role of audiologists generated four major themes: deaf connections, encouragement, specialized assistive technology, and holistic support. Clinical implications of these findings and recommendations for audiologists working with adolescents and young adults are outlined.