Study Reveals Parent-mediated Intervention Enhances Communication in Deaf Toddlers

A recent study has highlighted the positive impact of a parent-mediated intervention (PMI) on communication outcomes for toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggest that structured parental involvement can significantly improve language development in young children with hearing impairments.

Conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, the study involved a clinical trial with 96 parent-child pairs. The participants were children aged between 12 to 18 months who had been diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss but did not have any additional medical conditions. At least one parent in each pair had typical hearing, and the families were exposed to various forms of spoken language.

The trial was designed as a parallel stratified study, where the dyads were randomly assigned to either the PMI group or a control group. The PMI was delivered weekly via telehealth over a six-month period. The researchers aimed to measure the effectiveness of the intervention by assessing changes in parental strategies and child communication skills.

Results indicated that children in the PMI group exhibited a significant increase in both parent strategy use (Cohen's d = 1.57) and child communication abilities (Cohen's d = 0.59). These results suggest that the intervention had both statistical and clinical significance. Notably, children who were exposed to sign language in addition to spoken language demonstrated even greater improvements in communication compared to those who were not exposed to sign.

The authors of the study emphasized that this research represents a foundational step toward implementing evidence-based early communication interventions aimed at maximizing language outcomes for DHH children. They noted that the findings could pave the way for future strategies that incorporate parental involvement and promote effective communication techniques.

As the study points out, early intervention is crucial in the development of language skills in children with hearing loss. By equipping parents with effective communication strategies, the potential to enhance linguistic outcomes significantly increases.

For further details, readers can refer to the full study published in Pediatrics by Maranda K. Jones and colleagues.