Parents' of Deaf Children Evaluative Accounts of the Process and Practice of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

This article presents results from a narrative interview study of 45 parents/caregivers whose infants were correctly identified as deaf through Phase 1 of the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme in England. It concerns the period from the first screening event to the point of referral for audiological assessment. It focuses on the meanings parents attribute to the inconclusive message that the screen delivers and analyzes what it is that differentiates parents for whom such an outcome raises little concern from those who express dissatisfaction. Parents' evaluations of specific features of screening practice and process such as communication style and manner are also considered. It ends with a discussion of the status and validity of parents' accounts within the context of an evaluation of a national screening program and the further development of professional practice.