Communication Skills and Communicative Autonomy of Prelinguistic Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children: Application of a Video Feedback Intervention

Abstract

Background and Aim: Evidence on the efficacy of parenting interventions to support communication development in deaf and hard-of-hearing children is emerging. In previous research, we showed that parental participation in a video feedback-based intervention enhanced parental self-esteem and emotional availability to their deaf and hard-of-hearing children. This paper investigates the impact of the intervention on the development of the children's prelingual communication skills and autonomy. Evidence on the efficacy of parenting interventions to support communication development is warranted. Methods: Sixteen hearing parents with a prelingual deaf and hard-of-hearing child (Mage = 2.05 years, SD = 1.77) were recruited by self-selection from pediatric audiological services and randomly stratified into intervention-first and waiting-list groups. Families completed three sessions of Video Interaction Guidance in their homes. Designed for maximal inclusion, the sample comprised children with complex developmental and social needs. The primary inclusion criterion was the child's prelingual status (<50 signed/spoken words), which was established using speech and language therapy reports. Child communicative autonomy was assessed from a 20 min free-play video recording using a gold standard measure for deaf and hard-of-hearing children (Tait) before and after the intervention. Results: A Mann-Whitney U test indicated no significant difference between the two groups. The groups were collated, and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test with time (pre-/post-intervention) as a repeating variable was run. A significant increase in children's communicative autonomy (Z = −3.517, p < 0.0001, d = 0.62) and decrease in children's no-responses (Z = −3.111, p < 0.005, d = 0.55) were seen. There was no significant difference in the overall number of turn-taking between the parent and child, indicating differences in the quality of the parent-child interactions, not the quantity.

A novel approach to prevent social isolation in people with severe disability

“…As for the Program 3 C , it was found that it follows a structure comparable to other validated intervention proposals 48,49,50,51 in terms of the type of participants, number and scheduling of the sessions, integration of theoretical component parallel to a practical implementation of strategies, and use of video analysis as a working process. To work with caregivers with such approach appears to be a promising practice, as expressed by one of the participants in the panel: "the focus on empowering the role of parents/caretakers as communication partners is really needed and highly appropriate (…) it is important they have options in time to be really engaged and understand the model (…) in my experience, understanding the conceptual structure in an intervention model can really help them interact/communicate with their child".…”

A new intervention to prevent social isolation in people with complex communication needs

“…As for the Program 3 C , it was found that it follows a structure comparable to other validated intervention proposals [48][49][50][51] in terms of the type of participants, number and scheduling of the sessions, integration of theoretical component parallel to a practical implementation of strategies, and use of video analysis as a working process. To work with caregivers with such approach appears to be a promising practice, as expressed by one of the participants in the panel: "the focus on empowering the role of parents/caretakers as communication partners is really needed and highly appropriate (…) it is important they have options in time to be really engaged and understand the model (…) in my experience, understanding the conceptual structure in an intervention model can really help them interact/communicate with their child".…”

Child, Parent, and Play – An Insight into These Dimensions Among Children with and without Receptive Expressive Language Disorder Using Video-Based Analysis

“…Communicative autonomy has been reported to play a significant role in the speech and language development of children. 66 Communicative autonomy signifies the ability of the child to initiate a conversation either verbally or through gestures. Similar to the results of the present research, children with developmental delay have been reported to exhibit difficulties in initiating a conversation.…”