Effects of unilateral hearing loss on teacher responses to the SIFTER. Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risk.

Eighteen school children with unilateral hearing loss were compared to their peers through administration of the Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risk (SIFTER) to their teachers. Results indicate that children with unilateral hearing loss are given SIFTER scores significantly lower than their peers in all five SIFTER areas of academics, attention, communication, participation, and behavior. Such results support previous findings regarding teachers' attitudes toward students with unilateral hearing loss and indicate a need for in-service education for the classroom teacher and special attention to the educational risks of such children.