Early Intervention for Children With Hearing Loss

Family-centered early intervention for children with hearing loss is intended to strengthen families’ interactions with their children to support children’s language development, and should include providing parents with information they can use as part of their everyday routines. However, little is known about the information received by families via early intervention and whether this aligns with recommended practices. This study used in-depth interviews to examine parents’ reports of information received from early intervention service providers about how to promote the language development of their children with hearing loss. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the information parents received. The information parents receive is partially in line with current recommended practices, such as the importance of frequent communication with their children during everyday activities. However, parents also discussed the need for additional unbiased and specific information about how to promote their children’s language skills.