Parent-child interaction and deaf children’s early pragmatic, auditory and linguistic abilities| ACTA Otorhinolaryngologica Italica

Abstract

Objectives: to describe the Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) in prelingually deaf children with hearing aids and cochlear implants; to evaluate correlations between PCI, parental stress and family participation in the intervention program, as well as between PCI and auditory and spoken language abilities.

Methods: 20 children (12 M, 8 F; mean age 21.85 ± 4.29 months) received a test battery including Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP), Social Conversational Skills Rating Scale for Assertiveness (SCS-A) and for Responsiveness (SCS-R), MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (M-BCDI). PCI was assessed by video analysis, while parental stress and family participation were assessed by Parenting Stress Index Short Form questionnaire (PSI) and Familiar Involvement Rate Scale (FIRS), respectively.

Results: PCI style was “tutorial” in 15%, “modulated control” in 40%, “directive” in 20% and “asynchronous” in 25% of cases. A significant correlation was found between PCI and FIRS score, between PCI and CAP score, and between PCI and SCS-A rating scale score.

Conclusions: assessment of PCI in deaf children is important because it relates to family participation in the intervention program and affects the development of auditory and pragmatic abilities.