Long-Term Outcomes of Early Communication Intervention for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Toddlers

The overall goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn about the effects of a parent-mediated intervention (PMI) designed to support communication outcomes for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. Previously, the investigators enrolled 96 DHH children between 12 and 18 months of age and their parents. Families were randomly assigned to receive either the PMI or a business-as-usual control group. The PMI was a 6-month intervention that included weekly, hour-long Zoom sessions. During the intervention sessions, parents were taught communication support strategies to support their child's language development throughout daily routines and play. This current period of the trial follows the same children into early elementary school to determine whether the effects of the PMI are long-lasting. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the PMI improve language, reading, and social communication outcomes in the early school years? * Does parent involvement during early intervention support continued engagement in their child's education? The investigators will compare parents and children who received the PMI to those in the business-as-usual control group to determine whether the intervention has lasting effects on these outcomes. Participants will complete standardized assessments, parent-report surveys, and video-recorded naturalistic interactions. All assessments will be completed remotely.

NCT Number	NCT07205484
Lead Sponsor	Northwestern University
Conditions	Hearing Loss, Bilateral
Enrollment	88 participants
Start Date	2025-08-12
Primary Completion	2030-03 (estimated)
Study Completion	2030-03 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-01