Factors characterizing the academic experiences of children with mild bilateral or unilateral hearing loss

Students with mild bilateral (MBHL) or unilateral hearing loss (UHL) are frequently overlooked in service provision under the umbrella of special education services as they are typically viewed as having insignificant disability (Brown, Holstrum, & Ringwalt, 2008). However, up to 50% of these students fail at least one grade during their K-12 experience, demonstrating a significant risk associated with this population (Bess & Tharpe, 1984, 1986; Most, 2006). Despite evidence of risk for failure, little research exists to aid in the identification of need for services, including risk factors or potential risk factors. The aim of this study is to fill that gap of evidence required to better identify students who may need interventions to prevent failure academically. In summary, this study is an analysis of family demographic and student characteristics in order to identify common traits among students with MB/UHL who are likely to be associated with failure in academic performance