Behavior Management Strategies for Pediatric Hearing Aid Use: Provider Practices and Perspectives

The aim of this study was to investigate provider practices and perspectives related to including behavior management as a strategy to increase hearing aid use in children.

The study used a cross-sectional survey design, and the sample (N = 171) included audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and early interventionists in the United States.

Most participants indicated that they view teaching behavior management strategies to caregivers as part of their role, and only 12% often or always collaborate with a behavior analyst to address behaviors that interfere with hearing aid use. Most participants did not receive graduate training in behavior management. Higher confidence scores in behavior management skills were associated with more experience working with children and more training in graduate school. The top reported challenges in teaching behavior management to parents included knowing how to address caregiver hesitancy, knowing how to identify caregiver internal barriers, and having enough time to address behaviors.

This study provided insights into opportunities to expand how providers support caregivers to increase hearing aid use, including seeking training in behavior management and collaborating with experts in behavior analysis to assist in solving problems with hearing aid retention.