Parent-Driven Strategies Show Promise in Improving Communication for Deaf Toddlers

Recent research highlights the positive impact of parent-mediated interventions (PMIs) on the communication development of toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Published online on May 27, 2025, in the journal Pediatrics, the study emphasizes that incorporating parental strategies can significantly enhance language outcomes in young children. Conducted by Dr. Maranda K. Jones and colleagues from Northwestern University’s School of Communication, the clinical trial involved 96 parent-child pairs. The children ranged from 12 to 18 months old, all diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss but without additional conditions, and were exposed to spoken language to varying degrees.

In this study, half of the dyads participated in a six-month telehealth-based program where parents implemented targeted communication strategies weekly. The remaining group served as a control. Results showed that parents in the intervention group adopted more effective communication techniques (with a notable increase in strategy use), which correlated with improved communication skills in their children. Notably, children exposed to sign language in conjunction with spoken language demonstrated greater communication gains, underscoring the combined benefit of multimodal communication approaches.

This study represents an important step toward establishing evidence-based early intervention for DHH children, highlighting the critical role of parents in fostering language development. The findings suggest that engaging parents in consistent, structured communication strategies can lead to meaningful improvements in child outcomes, especially when combined with sign language exposure. Future research aims to expand these strategies and integrate them into standard early intervention programs.

For more details, the full study can be accessed in Pediatrics (2025). This research underscores the promising role of parent involvement in optimizing language development for deaf and hard-of-hearing toddlers.