Parental Expectations about Their Child’s Outcome from Cochlear Implant: A Survey

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate the expectations of parents about their child’s outcome from cochlear implant. The sample comprised of 51 parents of those children who undergone/undergoing cochlear implant. To assess the parental expectations a draft questionnaire was adopted and modified so as to suit the Indian context. Five areas of expectations; communication abilities, social skills, academic achievement, change in future life and post implant rehabilitation demands were taken into consideration in order to assess the expectations of parents. Parents rated their expectations on a 5-point scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Analysis of results indicated that parental expectations regarding different areas of expectations about their child’s outcome from cochlear implant fall in two categories, i.e., high and medium level of expectations with varying degree and not a single parent showed low level of expectations or almost no expectations. These findings indicate that to improve collaborative intervention with parents of children undergoing cochlear implantation it is important to have greater understanding of parental expectations regarding their child’s outcome from cochlear implant.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the expectations of parents about their child’s outcome from cochlear implant. The sample comprised of 51 parents of those children who undergone/undergoing cochlear implant. To assess the parental expectations a draft questionnaire was adopted and modified so as to suit the Indian context. Five areas of expectations; communication abilities, social skills, academic achievement, change in future life and post implant rehabilitation demands were taken into consideration in order to assess the expectations of parents. Parents rated their expectations on a 5-point scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Analysis of results indicated that parental expectations regarding different areas of expectations about their child’s outcome from cochlear implant fall in two categories, i.e., high and medium level of expectations with varying degree and not a single parent showed low level of expectations or almost no expectations. These findings indicate that to improve collaborative intervention with parents of children undergoing cochlear implantation it is important to have greater understanding of parental expectations regarding their child’s outcome from cochlear implant.