"I think it impacts all areas of his life": Perspectives on hearing from mothers of individuals with Down syndrome.

Background: Individuals with Down syndrome are known to have high rates of hearing loss, but it is unclear how this impacts their ability to communicate and function in real-world environments.

Methods: Sixteen English-speaking and Spanish-speaking mothers of individuals with Down syndrome ages 6-40 years participated in individual, semi-structured interviews using a videoconferencing platform. Session transcripts were analysed using applied thematic analysis.