Satisfaction With Communication Using Remote Face-to-Face Language Interpretation Services With Spanish-Speaking Parents: A Pilot Study

Effective communication in clinical encounters is dependent upon the exchange of accurate information between clinician and patient and the use of interpersonal skills that foster development of the patient-provider relationship and demonstrate understanding of the patient's social and cultural background. These skills are of critical importance in the diagnosis and management of hearing loss in children of Spanish-speaking families. While the provision of family friendly, culturally sensitive services to families of children with hearing loss can be challenging for audiologists and speech-language pathologists, the quality and satisfaction of these services is widely recognized as the cornerstone of patient satisfaction and improved outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore patient, audiologist, and interpreter satisfaction of the use of remote face-to-face language interpretation technologies in the context of audiology services. Parent participants rated each session regarding satisfaction with the communication exchange, audiology services, and the interpreting experience. Audiologists rated their satisfaction with the communication exchange, relationship with the parent, and experience with the interpreter. Interpreters rated their satisfaction with the logistics regarding the appointment, information exchange, and experience in working with the audiologist. Audiologists and interpreters were asked to identify what worked well and what challenges needed to be addressed. Data from this pilot study can be used to guide future efforts in providing high quality language interpretation services to Spanish-speaking families of young children who are at risk for or have been diagnosed with hearing loss.

Language Outcomes in Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Review

Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) in children is only recently beginning to be widely appreciated as having a negative impact. We now understand that simply having one normal-hearing ear may not be sufficient for typical child development, and leads to impairments in speech and language outcomes. Unfortunately, UHL is not a rare problem among children in the United States, and is present among more than 1 out of every 10 of adolescents in this country. How UHL specifically affects development of speech and language, however, is currently not well understood. While we know that children with UHL are more likely than their normal-hearing siblings to have speech therapy and individualized education plans at school, we do not yet understand the mechanism through which UHL causes speech and language problems. The objective of this review is to describe what is currently known about the impact of UHL on speech and language development in children. Furthermore, we discuss some of the potential pathways through which the impact of unilateral hearing loss on speech and language might be mediated.

SIG 9 Perspectives Vol. 25, No. 2, September 2015

Download the CE Questions PDF from the toolbar, above. Use the questions to guide your Perspectives reading. When you're ready, purchase the activity from the ASHA Store and follow the instructions to take the exam in ASHA's Learning Center. Available until March 26, 18.

Phonological Awareness at 5 years of age in Children Who Use Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants

Children with hearing loss typically underachieve in reading, possibly as a result of their underdeveloped phonological skills. This study addressed the questions of (1)whether or not the development of phonological awareness (PA) is influenced by the degree of hearing loss and (2) whether or not performance of children with severe-profound hearing loss differed according to the hearing devices used. Drawing on data collected as part of the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI,www.outcomes.nal.gov.au) study, the authors found that sound-matching scores of children with hearing loss ranging from mild to profound degrees were, on average, within the normal range. The degree of hearing loss did not have a significant impact on scores, but there was a non-significant tendency for the proportion of children who achieved zero scores to increase with increase in hearing loss. For children with severe hearing loss, there was no significant group difference in scores among children who used bilateral hearing aids, bimodal fitting (a cochlear implant and a hearing aid in contralateral ears), and bilateral cochlear implants. Although there is a need for further prospective research, professionals have an important role in targeting PA skills for rehabilitation of young children with hearing loss.

SIG 9 Perspectives Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2015

Download the CE Questions PDF from the toolbar, above. Use the questions to guide your Perspectives reading. When you're ready, purchase the activity from the ASHA Store and follow the instructions to take the exam in ASHA's Learning Center. Available until February 3, 2018.

Understanding Limited Use of Amplification in Infants and Children Who Are Hard of Hearing

The effectiveness of amplification for infants and children can be mediated by how much the child uses the device. Existing research suggests that establishing hearing aid use can be challenging. A wide range of factors can influence hearing aid use in children, including the child's age, degree of hearing loss, and socioeconomic status. Audiological interventions, including using validated prescriptive approaches and verification, performing on-going training and orientation, and communicating with caregivers about hearing aid use can also increase hearing aid use by infants and children. Case examples are used to highlight the factors that influence hearing aid use. Potential management strategies and future research needs are also discussed.

Hearing Aid Use for Children With Hearing Loss: A Literature Review

Purpose The purpose of this study was to complete a comprehensive literature review related to hearing aid use during early childhood. Method A rapid evidence assessment was completed to provide a summary of information published or presented between 1980 and 2012. A qualitative assessment was completed for all eligible material, emergent themes related to hearing aid use were synthesized, and a narrative summary was generated. Results Eight publications, one conference proceeding, and one presentation were identified. Three themes emerged from the review: hours of hearing aid use, factors influencing use, and suggestions about how to increase use from parents and professionals. Conclusion Minimal research has been done related to hearing aid use for young children with hearing loss. Further research is needed to address influences such as quality of fit, parent factors, multiple disabilities, and cultural differences and to investigate effective strategies for increasing hearing aid use.

Access is the Issue, Not Hearing Loss: New Policy Clarification Requires Schools to Ensure Effective Communication Access

Communication access is a key component of 504, IDEA and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A November 2014 policy guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice clarified that, under Title II of the ADA, schools are required to ensure that students with disabilities receive communication with others through the provision of appropriate auxiliary aids and services. In other words, they are responsible for ensuring that communication access is as effective for children with hearing loss as it is for their typically hearing peers. Hearing loss is invisible and the impact is often mistaken for a learning disorder rather than performance issues secondary to decreased access to communication. Information in this article is presented to assist the educational audiologist, teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing, or speech-language pathologist in demonstrating the impact of hearing loss on access to classroom communication so that the question “Does this student have effective access to communication in school?” can be answered in an evidence-based manner.