INTERVENTIONS FOR IMPROVING OUTCOMES OF CHILDREN WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING
Professor Teresa Y C Ching
Professorial Fellow, NextSense Institute, Sydney;
Conjoint Professor, Macquarie University, Sydney;
Honorary Professor, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Sydney | June 2025
About two to six per thousand children have a hearing loss that prevents them from achieving their full potential in life. They experience many more difficulties in cognitive, language and social development than their hearing peers. We know that early detection through newborn hearing screening is crucial, but less is known about how intervention can best be targeted to meet the needs of individual children and their families.
Professor Teresa Ching has led population-based studies that drive evidence-based practice in intervention for improving outcomes of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Much of her research findings have been translated into practice and policy. However, many children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds remain vulnerable, requiring intervention tailored to their needs. Furthermore, many children have undetected, untreated hearing problems when they enter school, thereby reducing their educational attainment and social participation.
Teresa is a Conjoint Professor at NextSense Institute and Macquarie University, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland in Australia. Her current research focuses on devising culturally sensitive practices in early detection and intervention to maximise children’s outcomes. Working with international colleagues, her current research is also directed towards developing global guidelines and recommendations for hearing screening beyond the newborn period, so that all children can benefit from early detection and intervention. The ultimate goal is to attain equity of care and outcomes for all children with hearing difficulties.
Source: Supplied
-
Vision impairment in children and the impact on children and their families
Dr Sue Silveira holds a conjoint academic position with Macquarie University and is the Course Director for their Master of Disability Studies, which is administered and delivered by NextSense Institute in affiliation with the University. She teaches in the areas of vision impairment and disability, and aims to share her knowledge while learning from others, especially people who are blind or have low vision and their families.
-
CASE STUDY Link between levels of extracellular vesicles in the blood and tissue damage caused by diseases
A landmark study led by WEHI and La Trobe University has found a potential new diagnostic marker that could be used to better detect the level of tissue damage in our bodies.
This study revealed, for the first time, a link between levels of EVs in the blood and tissue damage caused by diseases such as leukaemia.
Researchers hope to leverage the critical new insight to develop a blood test to monitor cancer patients with tissue damage, which could, in future, enhance treatment strategies for blood cancers and other diseases.
-
CASE STUDY Next Generation Condom Contraception
Eudaemon Technologies, an early-stage medtech company with a focus on sexual reproductive health, is developing a hydrogel condom to address the need for a better feeling, next generation condom, with the potential to improve user experience and address issues with traditional latex condoms.
“Over 1 million STI’s being diagnosed every day and up to 120 million unplanned pregnancies every year result in a $60 billion health burden across the globe”, says Co-Founder and Executive Director of Operations, Dr Simon Cook.
Formed in 2018, the company focuses on developing tough hydrogels as an alternative to address issues with odour, colour, and taste commonly associated with latex condoms. This technology can be loaded with small molecule drugs for flavours or anti-STI compounds, and was developed in response to a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to address unplanned pregnancies and STIs.
