High prevalence of hearing disorders at the Special Olympics indicate need to screen persons with intellectual disability

Abstract

The screening reliably detects hearing disorders among persons with ID. The prevalence of hearing impairment in this population is considerably higher than in the general population, and the proportion of undetected hearing impairments is large, even among people with only mild and moderate ID, as examined in this study. Therefore, a screening is highly recommended, and special attention from caregivers and professionals as well as regular hearing assessment and standard therapy programmes are required for persons with ID.