The Value of a Learning Community to Support Telepractice for Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss

Abstract

It has been almost 10 years since I was indoctrinated into the specialized field of telepractice. My introduction was based on a persistent need. At the time, as the director of a statewide early intervention program, I was committed to delivering the same high-quality early intervention services using the communication approach selected by each family to all children in the state irrespective of the geographic location in which the children lived. This presented a challenge as many rural communities did not have a provider with expertise in working with children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). If there was a provider, the professional often had the knowledge and skills for only one communication approach. A logical way to meet these commitments was to deliver services by connecting children in rural areas with providers in distant, and often urban, areas. Little did I know that I was venturing into a field that was already of high interest in the medical community. In short order, I became aware that the field of rehabilitation, and speech-language pathology specifically, was investigating telepractice as a service delivery model. My next opportunity to implement telepractice surfaced in 2009 when I participated in a multi-site grant to investigate the delivery of family-centered early intervention to infants and toddlers who were DHH. This grant, funded by the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI), created an academic-community partnership to investigate the delivery of early intervention services through interactive video. During the 12 months of grant funding, 15 parents and professionals worked collaboratively to investigate the infrastructure needed to implement telepractice effectively with infants and toddlers with hearing loss. During this year of grant funding, the partners were introduced to numerous programs that were using telepractice. These programs were located throughout the United States and in other countries as well. As a result, the grant-funded project participated in a timely initiative sponsored by The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) at Utah State University. The NCHAM initiative was a learning community, which brought professionals together to discuss their collective efforts to provide

Measuring Costs and Outcomes of Tele-Intervention When Serving Families of Children who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing

“…Unfortunately, few rigorous studies of the efficacy or cost-effectiveness of services provided through two-way conferencing systems have been conducted ( Hjelm, 2005 ; Mashima & Doarn, 2008 ; Scott et al, 2007 ; Wootton, 2001 ). A recent monograph provides the most current published information about the use of TI to support early intervention to infants and toddlers who are DHH ( Blaiser, Edwards, Behl, & Muñoz, 2012 ; Behl, Houston, & Stredler-Brown, 2012 ). Similar to previous literature on this topic, articles in the monograph describe applications of this technology and draw attention to the need for better evidence, with very little evidence being reported.…”

Telepractice Training for Early Intervention with Children who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing

“…Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that children who have, or are at-risk for, developmental delays receive early intervention services. Unfortunately, many children with special needs, including those who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (DHH), are unable to access specialized early intervention services because of their proximity to services, the inadequate number of specialized early intervention professionals, and other constraints pertaining to daily routines and financial limits (Behl, Houston, & Stredler-Brown, 2012). Yet, with this increase in need, there has been a noted shortage of early intervention providers with expertise in serving children who are DHH, particularly in rural and remote areas (Muñoz, Bradham, & Nelson, 2011).…”

“…As increasing evidence to support telepractice grows, so has the adoption of telepractice by early intervention programs throughout the United States. For example, in 2010, there were approximately five early intervention programs using telepractice or in the planning stages for adoption of this service delivery model (Behl et al, 2012). In the last 6 years, the number of early intervention programs, particularly those serving families of infants and toddlers who are DHH, has increased dramatically, with an increase in the National Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) Telepractice Learning Community membership from 12 in 2010 to 46 in 2016.…”

Supporting families of children with hearing loss transitioning to early intervention

“…Although traditionally used to provide healthcare services at a distance, research has shown that eHealth can have a broader application to EI for families and professionals. From a patient and family perspective, eHealth can provide earlier access to intervention services by: enabling virtual home visits (Hayes, Boada, & Coe, 2015;Olsen, Fiechtl, & Rule, 2012;Stredler-Brown & Alverson, 2012); providing opportunities for engaging siblings, grandparents, and local professionals through videoconferencing (McCarthy, Muñoz, & White, 2010); and improving family outcomes, confidence, and satisfaction (Behl, Houston, & Stredler-Brown, 2012;Chi & Demiris, 2015;Davis, Hopkins, & Abrahams, 2012). From a professional perspective, eHealth can improve professionals' effectiveness and adherence to clinical guidelines .…”

“…As early hearing intervention programs need to address professionals' training needs Houston, Muñoz, & Bradham, 2011), eHealth can also facilitate professional development by providing opportunities to connect with specialists, participate in online courses, collaboration, and networking between specialists and local professionals (Moffatt & Eley, 2010). Recent studies have suggested that eHealth can provide more opportunities to meet educational needs of hearing professionals in the case of shortage of well-trained professionals in hearing services (Behl et al, 2012;Hayes et al, 2015).…”