Purpose: Caregivers of deaf/hard of hearing infants are faced with challenging decisions regarding their child's communication method. The purpose of the current research note is to characterize the advice that caregivers receive and value as well as the factors that influence caregivers' decision making. Method: The current study enrolled 105…

Parents of deaf children must decide whether to raise their child using spoken and/or signed language. Multilingual parents have the additional decision of whether to use multiple spoken languages (with or without a signed language as well). These communication choices -- which can be both explicit and implicit -- can change over time and are…

The communication journey of a child with hearing loss is often a complex, interwoven process in which the child's use of language or method of communication may change numerous times. As there has been limited research exploring the caregiver decision-making process behind making such changes, this qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore…

Choosing a method of communication for a child with hearing loss is a complex process that must occur early to prevent developmental consequences. Research shows that parents' decisions are influenced by professionals; parental attitudes and knowledge also may be influential. The present study investigated additional influences on parents'…