▪ Objectives
We had the following research question: How can the early partnership-based exchange between children and young people with hearing impairments and students of childhood education and speech therapy contribute to reducing mutual inhibitions? How do pupils with hearing impairments re-experience their living environment and participation?
▪ Methods
The project is realized in interdisciplinary cooperation between education for the hearing impaired and health sciences. In concrete terms, access to childhood education, linguistics/speech therapy and the practice partner for the hearing impaired in Hildesheim (LBZH) are linked and transferred to relevant practical contexts. The goals of the project are to be implemented using the peer research approach (Bergold & Thomas, 2012). A trans- and interdisciplinary approach is pursued with the target group, which involves young people with hearing impairments and speech therapy, therapeutic professionals and the cooperation partners in order to record existing forms of interaction and communication at the level of participation.
▪ Results
All pupils and students had a wonderful workshop about the topic: „research together“. We started with breakfast together. Both groups had a lot of fun at the joint workshop. The pupils listed their favorite places and explained where they still see obstacles. During the break, the students showed their school. Students learned more about hearing impairement and „how can i assist and support“. New ideas for cooperation were forged during the final presentation.
▪ Conclusion
The project offers the opportunity to network and disseminate successful participatory approaches to collective learning about hearing impairments and the development of partnership-based health education in connection with hearing impairments among schoolchildren and students regionally and nationally. In the long term, the project promotes sustainable dialogue between practice, science and educational institutions in which children and young people with hearing impairments are based.
Bergold, J. & Thomas, S. (2012). Participatory Research Methods. A Methodological Approach in Motion. In Forum: Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research 13, H.1; Art.1.

A joint participation project of children and young people with hearing impairments and students of speech therapy

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm, that on behalf of the Cochlear Implant centers of the Radboud UMC in Nijmegen and Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam to invite you to attend the 16th European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation to Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2023.

Yours sincerely, on behalf of the CI Centers at Radboud UMC and Erasmus MC,