Examination of Services Provided for the Hearing Impaired in Republic of Kosovo: From Diagnosis to Education

Abstract

Following the unilateral declaration of independence in 2008, Republic of Kosovo initiated a thorough reconstruction process in all areas including education. Conducted within the scope of a protocol signed by Kosovo Ministry of Education and Anadolu University as a reflection of this reform era, this research aims to identify the problems and needs of children with hearing impairment in Kosovo through analyzing the regulations in diagnosis, assessment, and education of the hearing impaired. Including 92 participants and employing simultaneous variation design, one of the mixed methods, this study has utilized questionnaires administered to the parents (n = 34) and teachers (n = 28) of the children with hearing impairment, and the healthcare personnel (n = 20) working with these kids. In addition, semi-structured interviews have been held with a group of parents (n = 4) and teachers (n = 6). Descriptive analysis of semi-structured interviews—a qualitative technique—and questionnaires—a quantitative tool—has revealed major problems in two fundamental areas: (a) diagnosis, assessment, and intervention (b) and educational arrangements. Primary issues in the first group are diagnosis and assessment of the impairment, use of hearing aids, support services for the family after the diagnosis, and prominent deficiencies and inadequacies in pre-school education. On the other hand, troubles in the second group include the mismatch of communicative approaches preferred by families and applied by schools and incredibility of the number and quality of teachers, the physical infrastructure of schools, instructional planning and application, and the inclusion practice. This research has clearly depicted that serious structural modifications regarding the problem areas have to be launched immediately.