For children with hearing loss, successful use of hearing aids or cochlear implants goes beyond the technology itself. Parents play a central role in shaping how children engage with their devices, fostering consistent use, and supporting language, social, and emotional development. This presentation explores how psychological principles can inform audiological care to strengthen parent–child interactions and promote holistic development. Practical strategies include coaching parents to embed device use into everyday routines in ways that encourage attention, turn-taking, and meaningful communication; using language that reinforces engagement and positive interaction while nurturing social-emotional growth; and applying motivational and behavior-change techniques to support adherence and participation. By viewing device use within the context of relational and developmental support, audiologists can help families enhance both auditory outcomes and broader developmental skills. Attendees will gain evidence-informed, actionable tools to empower parents, foster confident and engaged children, and integrate psychological insights into routine audiological practice, highlighting the essential partnership between family and clinician in pediatric hearing care.
Learning Objective:
- After this session, participants will be able to apply psychological principles to support parent–child interactions in pediatric hearing care, using practical strategies to enhance device use, language development, and social-emotional growth in children with hearing loss.
