Hearing Loss And Its Effects On Health, Adjustment, And...

McMillan and Chavis define a sense of community as, â€Å"a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together† (Chavis 6). A sense of community is essential for all people, so they may feel included in society and that they serve a purpose in the world. Baumeister and Leary describe the need for interpersonal attachments and belonging as a â€Å"fundamental human motivation† (Baumeister 497). They theorize that â€Å"lack of attachments is linked to a variety of ill effects on health, adjustment, and well-being† (Baumeister 497). This is especially imperative for hard of hearing individuals, who through a sense†¦show more content†¦Within the community are divisions that unite individuals who are not only hard of hearing, but who are also similar in age and time of onset. There are three major divisions wi thin the hard of hearing community: pre-lingual hard of hearing individuals, post-lingual hard of hearing individuals, and elderly individuals with Presbycusis (hearing loss stemming from old age). Pre-lingual Hard of Hearing individuals are people who acquired hearing loss before they learned a spoken language, which most often is before age five (Parker 1). It can occur adventitiously, from illness, or due to an accident (Parker 1). Language acquisition is most often incomplete and delayed, and later on the individual will most likely have trouble with reading and writing (Parker 1). Individuals who identify with this group, are connected to this division because of the early age of onset, manner in which they grew up and how they were treated, and language acquisition. They will connect through common experience growing up as a child with hearing loss. Ways in which this group interacts within the hard of hearing community include but are not limited to: residential schools, summ er camps, community-oriented organized activities, and ASL classes all geared towards individuals who are hard of hearing. One program for children who are hard of hearing is