scholarly journals Usability of a Mobile App for Improving Literacy in Children With Hearing Impairment: Focus Group Study

10.2196/16310 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e16310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelly DeForte ◽  
Emre Sezgin ◽  
Janelle Huefner ◽  
Shana Lucius ◽  
John Luna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Speech And Language ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Digital Stories ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
The Impact

Background Children with hearing loss, even those identified early and who use hearing aids or cochlear implants, may face challenges in developing spoken language and literacy. This can lead to academic, behavioral, and social difficulties. There are apps for healthy children to improve their spoken language and literacy and apps that focus on sign language proficiency for children with hearing loss, but these apps are limited for children with hearing loss. Therefore, we have developed an app called Hear Me Read, which uses enhanced digital stories as therapy tools for speech, language, and literacy for children with hearing loss. The platform has therapist and parent/child modes that allow (1) the selection of high-quality, illustrated digital stories by a speech-language pathologist, parent, or child; (2) the modification of digital stories for a multitude of speech and language targets; and (3) the assignment of stories by a therapist to facilitate individualized speech and language goals. In addition, Hear Me Read makes the caregiver a core partner in engagement through functionality, whereby the caregiver can record video and audio of themselves to be played back by the child. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the user experience of the Hear Me Read app through a focus group study with caregivers and their children. Methods We recruited 16 participants (8 children with and without hearing loss and 8 caregivers) to participate in 1-hour focus groups. Caregivers and children interacted with the app and discussed their experiences through a semistructured group interview. We employed thematic analysis methods and analyzed the data. We used feedback from the focus group to improve the elements of the app for a larger clinical trial assessing the impact of the app on outcomes. Results We identified three themes: default needs, specific needs, and family needs. Participants found the app to be esthetically pleasing and easy to use. The findings of this study helped us to identify usability attributes and to amend app functionalities to best fit user needs. Caregivers and children appreciated the enhancements, such as highlighting of parts of speech and caregiver reading of video playback, which were made possible by the digital format. Participants expressed that the app could be used to enhance family reading sessions and family interaction. Conclusions The findings from this focus group study are promising for the use of educational apps designed specifically for those with hearing loss who are pursuing listening and spoken language as a communication outcome. Further investigation is needed with larger sample sizes to understand the clinical impact on relevant language and literacy outcomes in this population.

scholarly journals Usability of a Mobile App for Improving Literacy in Children With Hearing Impairment: Focus Group Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelly DeForte ◽  
Emre Sezgin ◽  
Janelle Huefner ◽  
Shana Lucius ◽  
John Luna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Speech And Language ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Digital Stories ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Children with hearing loss, even those identified early and who use hearing aids or cochlear implants, may face challenges in developing spoken language and literacy. This can lead to academic, behavioral, and social difficulties. There are apps for healthy children to improve their spoken language and literacy and apps that focus on sign language proficiency for children with hearing loss, but these apps are limited for children with hearing loss. Therefore, we have developed an app called Hear Me Read, which uses enhanced digital stories as therapy tools for speech, language, and literacy for children with hearing loss. The platform has therapist and parent/child modes that allow (1) the selection of high-quality, illustrated digital stories by a speech-language pathologist, parent, or child; (2) the modification of digital stories for a multitude of speech and language targets; and (3) the assignment of stories by a therapist to facilitate individualized speech and language goals. In addition, Hear Me Read makes the caregiver a core partner in engagement through functionality, whereby the caregiver can record video and audio of themselves to be played back by the child. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the user experience of the Hear Me Read app through a focus group study with caregivers and their children. METHODS We recruited 16 participants (8 children with and without hearing loss and 8 caregivers) to participate in 1-hour focus groups. Caregivers and children interacted with the app and discussed their experiences through a semistructured group interview. We employed thematic analysis methods and analyzed the data. We used feedback from the focus group to improve the elements of the app for a larger clinical trial assessing the impact of the app on outcomes. RESULTS We identified three themes: default needs, specific needs, and family needs. Participants found the app to be esthetically pleasing and easy to use. The findings of this study helped us to identify usability attributes and to amend app functionalities to best fit user needs. Caregivers and children appreciated the enhancements, such as highlighting of parts of speech and caregiver reading of video playback, which were made possible by the digital format. Participants expressed that the app could be used to enhance family reading sessions and family interaction. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this focus group study are promising for the use of educational apps designed specifically for those with hearing loss who are pursuing listening and spoken language as a communication outcome. Further investigation is needed with larger sample sizes to understand the clinical impact on relevant language and literacy outcomes in this population.

Listening, Language, and Literacy Development and Children With Hearing Loss Who are Learning Spoken Language

2020 ◽  
pp. 36-51
Author(s):  
Lyn Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Literary Criticism ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Symbol Systems ◽  
Thinking Processes ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
The Individual

This chapter explores the acquisition of spoken language and literacy in children with hearing loss whose auditory access through the use of hearing technology enables them to listen, and it examines the relationships among language, thought, and print that offer explanation of the role of spoken language as the foundation for literacy. It defines reading and writing as thinking processes that make use of symbol systems representative of spoken language and gives attention to the numerous cueing systems and conventions comprising representations of meaning. Drawing from cognitive psychology, linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, literary criticism, and critical traditions developed over time through study of people with typical hearing, this chapter argues that meaning making resides in the individual in the presence of symbols both heard and seen and for maximizing spoken language acquisition in children with hearing loss so as to prepare them for lifelong literacy and language use.

Exploring the Impact of Spoken Language on Social Inclusion for Children with Hearing Loss in Listening and Spoken Language Early Intervention

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Constantinescu ◽  
Rebecca L. Phillips ◽  
Aleisha Davis ◽  
Dimity Dornan ◽  
Anthony Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
The Impact

What Do We Want Them To Be When They Grow Up?

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31
Author(s):  
Lyn Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Profound Hearing Loss ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
Learning To Listen

Abstract Learning to listen and speak are well-established preludes for reading, writing, and succeeding in mainstream educational settings. Intangibles beyond the ubiquitous test scores that typically serve as markers for progress in children with hearing loss are embedded in descriptions of the educational and social development of four young women. All were diagnosed with severe-to-profound or profound hearing loss as toddlers, and all were fitted with hearing aids and given listening and spoken language therapy. Compiling stories across the life span provides insights into what we can be doing in the lives of young children with hearing loss.

Red Flags: Barriers to Listening and Spoken Language in Children with Hearing Loss

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Andrea Bell ◽  
K. Todd Houston
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Dynamic Process ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Red Flags ◽  
Careful Monitoring ◽  
Auditory Development ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
Family Centered

To ensure optimal auditory development for the acquisition of spoken language, children with hearing loss require early diagnosis, effective ongoing audiological management, well fit and maintained hearing technology, and appropriate family-centered early intervention. When these elements are in place, children with hearing loss can achieve developmental and communicative outcomes that are comparable to their hearing peers. However, for these outcomes to occur, clinicians—early interventionists, speech-language pathologists, and pediatric audiologists—must participate in a dynamic process that requires careful monitoring of countless variables that could impact the child's skill acquisition. This paper addresses some of these variables or “red flags,” which often are indicators of both minor and major issues that clinicians may encounter when delivering services to young children with hearing loss and their families.

scholarly journals Predictors of Early Reading Skill in 5-Year-Old Children With Hearing Loss Who Use Spoken Language

2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Cupples ◽  
Teresa Y.C. Ching ◽  
Kathryn Crowe ◽  
Julia Day ◽  
Mark Seeto
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Early Reading ◽  
Reading Skill ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss

Patients’ perspective of the impact of COPD on quality of life: a focus group study for patients with COPD

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 573-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anan Jarab ◽  
Eman Alefishat ◽  
Tareq Mukattash ◽  
Karem Alzoubi ◽  
Sharrel Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Patients Perspective

scholarly journals Cochlear Implants and Children with Vestibular Impairments

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (03) ◽  
pp. 305-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blake Papsin ◽  
Sharon Cushing
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Sensory Deficit ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Language Outcomes ◽  
Speech And Language ◽  
Vestibular Loss ◽  
Acquired Hearing Loss ◽  
Speech And Language Development ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children occurs in 1 to 3% of live births and acquired hearing loss can additionally occur. This sensory deficit has far reaching consequences that have been shown to extend beyond speech and language development. Thankfully there are many therapeutic options that exist for these children with the aim of decreasing the morbidity of their hearing impairment. Of late, focus has shifted beyond speech and language outcomes to the overall performance of children with SNHL in real-world environments. To account for their residual deficits in such environments, clinicians must understand the extent of their sensory impairments. SNHL commonly coexists with other sensory deficits such as vestibular loss. Vestibular impairment is exceedingly common in children with SNHL with nearly half of children exhibiting vestibular end-organ dysfunction. These deficits naturally lead to impairments in balance and delay in motor milestones. However, this additional sensory deficit likely leads to further impairment in the performance of these children. This article focuses on the following:1. Defining the coexistence of vestibular impairment in children with SNHL and cochlear implants.2. Describing screening methods aimed at identifying vestibular dysfunction in children with SNHL.3. Understanding the functional implications of this dual-sensory impairment.4. Exploring possible rehabilitative strategies to minimize the impact of vestibular impairment in children with SNHL

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