2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
Parent Perceptions on the Effect of COVID-19 on Pediatric Speech and Hearing Services
The COVID-19 pandemic caused economic, financial, and medical impacts across the globe. Businesses, including healthcare offices, were forced to close or reduce the number of patients they were seeing in an effort to slow the spread. As a result of these closures and reductions in services, access to care was impacted for individuals across the lifespan including those patients and families who needed speech and/or hearing care. Families have stated a desire for education that is comprehensive, individualized, and high quality (Bernstein & Barta, 1988). A delay in receiving these services can lead to persistent communication problems, poorer language outcomes, and poor school readiness (Roberts & Kaiser, 2015; Ching, 2015).
This study aimed to examine parent perceptions of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their child's speech and/or hearing care.
An online survey was distributed to parents with children who receive services from speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and/or teachers of the deaf. Questions highlighted the following topic areas: demographics, types of speech and/or hearing provider seen, access to telehealth, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on appointments with their speech and/or hearing provider(s), the parents' perceptions on how these changes have impacted their child.
Results will show how parents perceived the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their child's speech and/or hearing care. With the knowledge from this survey, speech and hearing providers will better understand the challenges parents have faced in seeking care for their child who receives care from speech and/or hearing providers. By gaining insight into how the parents of these children perceive the care has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic speech and hearing providers will be better able to help all stakeholders in this care understand what is needed for the child to be successful after this shift in service due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the speech and hearing are of chidlren.
- Discuss ways to overcome challenges described by parents.
- Discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of speech and hearing services.
Poster:
3353554_14885SarahAllen.pdf
Presenter: Sarah Allen
Dr. Sarah Allen is an assistant professor at UAMS. She graduated with her Au.D. from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and with her Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina Greensboro. Her research interests include pediatric audiology, family advocacy, and professional issues.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Charia Hall, Au.D., CCC-A, is an assistant professor and Audiology Clinical Education Director in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Before UAMS, she worked for 5 years in a pediatric and educational audiology setting, where she gained experience in improving educational outcomes of children with hearing loss and assistive technology. Her areas of interest include early intervention, educational advocacy, assistive technology, and central auditory processing disorders.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -