title: Fifteen years of early hearing screening in Flanders: impact on language and education.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of fifteen years of universal neonatal hearing screening in Flanders on language development and the educational setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  An analysis of the database of Kind en Gezin from 1997 to 2012 and a long-term evaluation of the children referred to our centre after failed neonatal hearing screening. The CELF and PPVT language tests were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1997 and August 2012, bilateral hearing loss was confirmed in 2393 children in Flanders, of whom 11.4% were referred to our tertiary centre. The educational setting and language development of 84 children older than 5 years was evaluated and 54% of them had additional disabilities. Of the children without additional disabilities, 84% attended mainstream schools; 42% of children with additional disabilities entered mainstream education with additional support. There was a significant correlation between the number of additional disabilities and the education level (p < 0.001) and between the degree of hearing loss and educational placement (p < 0.001). Data on language development were available for 76% of the children and a significant correlation could be demonstrated only between the results of the PPVT language and the number of additional handicaps (p < 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of children receiving early treatment after neonatal hearing screening enter mainstream education. The number of additional disabilities has a significant effect on education level and language development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium. christian.desloovere@uzleuven.be
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desloovere
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verhaert
authors.affiliation: Kind en Gezin, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Kerschaver
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Debruyne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013997:Time Factors