A pilot study of telepractice delivery for teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss

Abstract

Telemedicine ("telepractice") allows improved access to specialised early intervention services such as Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) for children with hearing loss. We investigated the effectiveness of a tele-AVT programme (eAVT) in the spoken language development of a group of young children with hearing loss. In a retrospective study we compared the language outcomes of children with bilateral hearing loss receiving eAVT with a control group who received therapy In Person. Seven children in each group (mean age 2.4 years) were matched on pre-amplification hearing level for the better hearing ear, age at optimal amplification and enrolment in the AVT programme. The eAVT sessions were conducted via Skype. Results on the Preschool Language Scale-4 were compared at 2 years post optimal amplification. There were no significant differences in language scores between the two groups. Language scores for the children in the eAVT group were within the normal range for children with normal hearing. The results suggest that early intervention AVT via telepractice may be as effective as delivery In Person for children with hearing loss.

The clinical use of Skype—For which patients, with which problems and in which settings? A snapshot review of the literature

“…6,[27][28][29][30][31] Study design Nine (33%) of the included studies had a controlled design, with six (22%) having random assignment of participants to Skype or to a control, 10,12,13,19,21,25 with the remaining three studies (11%) having non-randomised assignment. 8,22,30 Five studies (19%) reported a pre-test / post-test design, 9,11,16,26,28 while three (11%) reported method-comparison studies. 14,20,24 Qualitative designs were …”

“…7,9,10,12,13,19,26 and clinical education was described in six (22%) articles. 6, 27-31 Speech and language pathology was described in four (15%) articles, 8,18,24,25 with critical illness 5, 17, 21 and mental health 11, 15, 16 both represented in three (11%) articles each. Pathology 14, 23 was described in two (7%) articles.…”

“…We classified twelve (44%) of the included studies as "feasibility studies" (Table 3); [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] nine (33%) as "clinical studies" (Table 5); [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] and six articles (22%) as "clinical education" studies (Table 7). 6,[27][28][29][30][31] Study design Nine (33%) of the included studies had a controlled design, with six (22%) having random assignment of participants to Skype or to a control, 10,12,13,19,21,25 with the remaining three studies (11%) having non-randomised assignment.…”

Feasibility of a Supplemental Phonological Awareness Intervention via Telepractice for Children with Hearing Loss: A Preliminary Study

“…Behl, Callow-Heusser, and White (2013) conducted a randomized control study of 27 families of infants and toddlers with hearing loss and evaluated pre- and post-test measurements on child and family outcomes, family and provider satisfaction, and cost. Most recently, Constantinescu et al (2014) provided auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) via telepractice to seven young children (mean age 2:4 years) with hearing loss. The children’s outcomes using the Preschool Language Scale-4 (PLS-4) were compared with another group of seven age equivalent children with hearing loss who received AVT in the traditional in-person method.…”

Investigação da eficácia da teleconsulta na programação do implante coclear

“…A teleconsulta pode ser desempenhada de três diferentes formas (Krumm, 2007, Ferrari et al, 2010: Pesquisas demonstram a eficácia do uso da teleconsulta para o diagnóstico audiológico (Givens, Elangovan, 2003, Choi et al, 2007, Krumm et al, 2007, Andersson et al, 2003, o tratamento do zumbido (Kaldo et al, 2008), a adaptação de Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora Individual (AASI) (Ferrari, 2006, Ferrari, Bernardez-Braga, 2009, Campos, Ferrari, 2012 e o processo terapêutico (Constantinescu 2012, Constantinescu et al, 2014. (Brasil, 1999) e em estudos internacionais (Moret, Costa, 2015).…”