Abstract
M. Ed.
By virtue of the nature of the affliction, the auditory world of Chronic Otitis Media (COM)
children is likely to be one of frequent insecurity and confusion. Fluctuations of volume, tone
and clarity of sound must be very unsettling for young language learners. If the significant
others in their lives are not fully informed about the nature, effects and potential impact of the
illness on the developmental processes of the sufferer, then psychological, social and
scholastic manifestations of the inevitable inner confusion will probably result:In South Africa
today, fewer professional resources are available to meet the needs of a greater number of
people. One creative solution to this problem could be the growing trend away from a
predominantly one-to-one approach towards a consultative function for Educational
Psychologists, with relevant psychometric and therapeutic intervention. With this in mind, the
purpose of this study is to explore and illuminate the experiential world of the school beginner
who suffers from COM to parents and teachers alike.
With the growing emphasis on the integrated, whole language approach to teaching and
learning in many South African schools, the focus of this study is on how the school beginner
with chronic Otitis Media experiences his new learner status. The initial aim of the exercise is
to expose this experience and examine it within the context of sound theory. Further, the
study is intended to be the first, small step in a process intended ultimately to benefit the
wider population of COM afflicted learners by raising new awareness and understanding of
their special needs in their teachers.
The theoretical foundation that undergirds this study incorporates a multidisciplinary review of
the literature encompassing the anatomical structure of the ear, the mechanical, physiological
and neuro-sensori process of sound reception and processing (which constitutes hearing),
and the normal, integrated developmental stages of the infant. This foundation is established
with the aim of providing support and structure for the research questions posed.
The nature of the research problem under investigation dictates the type of research design
used. The Case Study was sek licted as possessing the most appropriate characteristics and
methods of data collection for the planned research process. The samples selected for the
study complied with specified criteria relating to the onset, intensity and chronicity of Otitis
Media experienced during infa ncy. Cases were to be six to seven years of age and in the
beginning stages of their formal learning process.
The study falls within the qualitative research paradigm and is presented as a description and
discussion of the experiential world of the school beginner with chronic Otitis Media. Where
`appropriate, a tentative explanation of outcomes is given and a behavioural profile compiled
for discussion with teachers, and with further exploration in mind at some future time