Non-traditional pediatric implant recipients derive significant benefit from cochlear implantation. A large-scale reassessment of pediatric cochlear implant candidacy, including less severe hearing losses and higher preoperative speech recognition, is warranted to allow more children access to the benefits of cochlear implantation.

There are many ways for children with hearing loss to learn to communicate. Advances in universal newborn hearing screening and hearing technology have enabled many families to elect a listening and spoken language outcome for their children, regardless of degree of hearing loss. Auditory Verbal Therapy is a family-centered approach to developing listening and spoken language for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Professionals certified in Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) provide services under a guiding set of 10 principles, enumerated in this article with their attendant research bases and practical/clinical implications.

This chapter explores principles of family-centered listening and spoken language (LSL) intervention, research, and best practices for children who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) using multiple spoken languages and their families. Children with any degree/type of hearing loss who are in environments where multiple languages are spoken are referred to as deaf multilingual learners (DMLs). The language landscape for these children is varied. Some DMLs acquire a first language (L1) at home and are exposed to subsequent spoken languages in school or community settings; others are born into families where multiple languages are spoken from the beginning. While the chapter focuses on a framework of family-centered intervention applied to language development for DMLs whose families have selected LSL outcomes, the principles discussed broadly apply to DMLs using varied language(s) or modality(ies). Through analysis of best practices for interventionists and case studies, readers will understand bi/multilingual spoken language development for children who are DHH.

No abstract

Purpose: This clinical focus article examines the relevant research regarding culturally responsive practices and its application in early intervention for communication disorders. Authors describe the ways in which language socialization varies by culture and the impact of family-centered intervention for communication development on this process. The profound mismatch of racial, cultural, and linguistic characteristics of the professional workforce and the families served is noteworthy. Speech-language pathologists and teachers of the deaf are invited to examine personal beliefs about culture and language by reflecting on five Key Realizations for Professionals . Through an ongoing process of self-reflection, practitioners will be better situated to deliver culturally relevant intervention practices that respect and enhance family talk to promote optimal child outcomes. Conclusion: By establishing guiding principles for culturally responsive intervention and demonstrating case study applications, the information presented in this article can help professionals improve their ability to deliver culturally relevant intervention.