During a wider parliamentary debate on school-based counselling services, Nicholas Brown, Labour MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, cited research from the National Deaf Children’s Society which found that the use of non-clear face coverings has led to increased communication difficulties for deaf children.
Charities supporting deaf children and those with hearing loss have previously warned that the use of masks could have a negative impact on those who lip read.
-
Blog: Supporting families of deaf children online during coronavirus pandemic
-
How therapy helps deaf children get a better start
Brown told the debate that he had “recently met representatives of the National Deaf Children’s Society who told me about the disproportionate impact that the coronavirus lockdowns have had on the mental health of deaf children”.
Watch the video and see Nick Brown MP discuss the disproportionate impact #COVID has had on #deaf children's mental wellbeing during a parliamentary debate last Tuesday. This formed part of the follow-up to our meeting with him at Labour Party conference #MentalHealth #School 👇 pic.twitter.com/XF0XvNLaqP
— NDCS (@NDCS_UK) November 11, 2021
“Measures taken to fight Covid, such as the widespread wearing of face masks, particularly in the classroom, have led to communication difficulties for deaf children. As a result, 60 per cent of deaf children have indicated that their mental health has worsened, and 58 per cent have reported feeling isolated and lonely,” Brown added.
The use of phone consultations and appointments for services, including mental health services, has also led to deaf children feeling increasingly isolated, he said.
“Many felt that services relied too much on the telephone for booking appointments, and others did not like the fact that some appointments were now available only on the telephone.”
Shadow early years minister and Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, Tulip Siddiq, said Brown’s comments echoed the views of teachers she had met with.
“Similar points were made to me when I met a group of head teachers from special needs schools, all of whom talked about the impact Covid has had on people with physical disabilities and the mental health impact that moves on from there,” she said.
Siddiq described the mental health impact of the pandemic on all children combined with increased demand for services as “a perfect storm, which is likely to have devastating consequences for young people”.
“We are already starting to see this impact as constituency MPs, with an astonishing 96 per cent increase in under-18s being referred to mental health services between spring 2019 and spring 2021, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Yet just two in five children with a diagnosed condition can actually access specialist support,” she said.
Children’s minister Will Quince told MPs that “improving mental health starts with promoting good mental wellbeing and ensuring that children and young people get the help and support that they need.
“Schools with the right support from specialist services can play a vital role in that, which is why improving mental health support for schools has been a long-standing priority for this government, with a shared approach led by the Department of Health and Social Care and supported by the Department for Education.”
He highlighted a multimillion pound investment in children’s mental health support by the government including £7m for 2021/22 in its Wellbeing for Education Recovery programme and £9.5m in the DfE’s programme to train senior mental health leads in schools.
Responding to issues highlighted in the debate, Anita Grover, chief executive of deaf children's charity Auditory Verbal UK said: “The impact of Covid-19 has exacerbated the challenges facing deaf children and their families.
"Deaf children were already at higher risk of poor mental health and social exclusion and were underachieving at school. We know that deaf children can achieve just as well as any other child when they have access to early support that is right for them and their family. There has never been a more important time to invest in services and support for deaf children and their families. This is vitally important whether a child uses spoken language, sign language or a combination.”
Beccy Forrow, campaigner at the National Deaf Children's Society, added: “Deaf children and young people were hit hard during the pandemic. In lockdown, they found themselves trapped at home and struggling with online lessons, which two thirds of them found difficult to understand. Inconsistent use of subtitles, multiple people talking at once and a lack of British Sign Language translation left many with an exhausting battle to keep up.
“When they returned to school, face masks made lip reading impossible and communication extremely difficult. They faced these problems in social settings too, and when going into shops or taking public transport.
“More than half of deaf children said their mental health got worse during lockdown. Some told us they felt distressed and upset, while others reported feelings of frustration, anxiety and isolation.
“As we move forward, it’s really important that parents, teachers and friends are checking in with deaf children and young people to make sure they’re feeling supported. Schools and colleges also need to make sure their catch-up sessions are fully accessible, so deaf students can progress at the same rate as their classmates.
“It’s been a very difficult period and the effects may last for some time yet.”
