Improving Outcomes Using Technology for Children Who Are DHH

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study evaluates the efficacy of using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology for enhancing language development in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Half of the participants will receive AAC technology with their speech and language therapy and half will continue with their usual care models.

Official Title
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Improving Outcomes Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Conditions
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Hearing Loss, Language Development, Social Behavior

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: augmentative and alternative communication technology
* Behavioral: Usual Care


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: documented permanent bilateral hearing loss with severity levels clinically defined in any range (mild to profound); identified with a language gap; currently receiving speech-language therapy. Exclusion Criteria: primary language other than English significant motor impairments nonverbal IQ <60 children with severe communication disorders (i.e. autism spectrum disorders).

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 3 Years
Maximum Age: 10 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Technology-assisted language intervention<br>This intervention will incorporate augmentative and alternative communication software delivered on iPads into speech-language therapy | Behavioral: augmentative and alternative communication technology<br> <br> |
| Active Comparator: usual care<br>This group will be usual care children are already receiving. | Behavioral: Usual Care<br>* No change to the therapy care received<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Syntax | Evaluated using the mean length of utterance in morphemes collected from language samples. Assessing change between baseline and 24 weeks. | Change between baseline and 24 weeks | 
| semantics | Variety and total number of vocabulary words used collected from language samples.Assessing change between baseline and 24 weeks. | Change between baseline and 24 weeks | 
| Discourse | Child's mean turn length in words collected from language samples. Assessing change between baseline and 24 weeks. | Assessing change between baseline and 24 weeks. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Language standard scores (receptive and expressive) | Receptive language (what a child understands) and expressive language (what a child says) as measured by standardized language assessment. | Assessing change between baseline and 24 weeks. | 
| Social functioning | Social functioning as measured by parent-reported assessments or scales | Assessing change between baseline and 24 weeks. |