Parental perspectives of children using cochlear implant

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Parental Psychology

Background:

• Cochlear implantation (CI) is a significant intervention for children with severe to profound hearing loss.
• Understanding parental perspectives is crucial for assessing the holistic impact of CI on a child's development.
• Parental expectations and perceptions influence a child's adaptation and outcomes post-implantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate parental perspectives on the developmental progress of children who have undergone cochlear implant (CI) surgery.
• To quantify parents' views on various aspects of their child's life post-CI using a validated questionnaire.
• To identify key areas of child and family functioning influenced by cochlear implantation.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional prospective study involving 50 parents/guardians of children with 1-3 years of CI use.
• Utilized the "Perspectives of parents of children with cochlear implants" questionnaire, translated and adapted to Brazilian Portuguese.
• Employed the Spearman test to analyze correlations between different subscales of the questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Parents reported highest satisfaction with social relationships, self-sufficiency, and communication.
• The child support subscale received the lowest score, indicating perceived challenges in this area.
• Significant positive correlations were found between the communication subscale and other child-related subscales, as well as family subscales (education, self-sufficiency).

Conclusions:

• Parents generally hold optimistic expectations for their child's communication, independence, and social integration following CI surgery.
• The "Perspectives of parents of children with cochlear implants" questionnaire is a valuable tool for clinical assessment and monitoring of CI outcomes.
• Findings underscore the positive impact of CI on children's social participation and autonomy from the parents' viewpoint.