Correlation between Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders and LanguageDevelopment in Hearing-Impaired Egyptian Arabic Speaking Children

Background: Hearing is critical for normal development and acquisition of language and speech and Hearing impairment exists when there is diminished sensitivity to the sounds normally heard. Several studies have suggested that one out of every two to three school-aged children with any degree of hearing impairment have academic, social, and behavioral difficulties. Purpose: To compare the degree of hearing loss regarding the Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders of hearing-impaired children and then correlate this to language scale. Methods: 75 divided equally to three groups, mild, moderate and severe hearing impaired Egyptian Arabic speaking children aged between 6 to 8 years were included in this study and were subjected to psychometric evaluation, audiological assessment, Arabic language scale, and The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire (Arabic version). Results: Hearing-impaired children showed more language, emotion difficulties, and spent less time communicating than children with normal hearing. The lowest academic, social, and emotional scores were in severe hearing impaired group than in the other two groups. Conclusion: Even slight/mild hearing impairment can result in negative consequences in the psychological, social, and emotional and there is significant relationship between delayed language, anxiety, and child emotional related problems. Without appropriate interventions, these children are at risk of developing mental health disorders.