Communicative participation of school-aged children with cochlear implants: parental perceptions

This qualitative study aimed to explore parents' perceptions regarding the communication of their school-aged child with cochlear implants (CIs) in various social contexts. To this end, the construct of "communicative participation" (World Health Organization (2001), International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/international-classification-of-functioning-disability-and-health) was broadly applied to the population of children with CIs. Nineteen parents participated in semi-structured interviews and described their perceptions and experiences regarding the communication of their child in social contexts. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The results showed that overall, despite describing very positive outcomes with CIs, parents reported that their children do experience participation restrictions and activity limitations because of communication difficulties and/or environmental and social barriers. The findings from this study unveiled the communication difficulties of school-aged children with CIs, as experienced by their parents. These difficulties-which may seem subtle-can significantly impact the participation in communication. Language interventions could be improved to better support pupils who are experienced CI users.