OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors influencing parents' choice of communication mode during early education of their child with hearing loss. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive analysis of semi-structured interviews of parents of children with hearing loss. STUDY SAMPLE: Fourteen parents of children who participated in the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment study. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from thematic analysis of the interview data: (1) parents draw on a variety of experiences and information to make decisions; (2) parents' preferred outcomes for their children drive their choices; (3) child's preference and proficiency drive parental choice; and (4) parents' fears and worries influence decisions. Parents required unbiased, descriptive information as well as evaluative information from professionals, so that they could consider all options in making a decision that met their needs. They required continual support for implementation of their choices as they adjusted to their children's changing needs. CONCLUSIONS: Decisions around communication mode are rarely made in isolation, but occur within a larger decision-making matrix that include device choices, early intervention agency choices and "future-proofing" the child's future communication options.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors influencing parents' choice of communication mode during early education of their child with hearing loss. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive analysis of semi-structured interviews of parents of children with hearing loss. STUDY SAMPLE: Fourteen parents of children who participated in the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment study. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from thematic analysis of the interview data: (1) parents draw on a variety of experiences and information to make decisions; (2) parents' preferred outcomes for their children drive their choices; (3) child's preference and proficiency drive parental choice; and (4) parents' fears and worries influence decisions. Parents required unbiased, descriptive information as well as evaluative information from professionals, so that they could consider all options in making a decision that met their needs. They required continual support for implementation of their choices as they adjusted to their children's changing needs. CONCLUSIONS: Decisions around communication mode are rarely made in isolation, but occur within a larger decision-making matrix that include device choices, early intervention agency choices and "future-proofing" the child's future communication options.