Parental involvement and its impact on speech intelligibility after speech therapy of children with hearing impairment

Parental involvement is nowadays crucial in successful curricular and co-curricular programs for children. Similarly, it is impactful in the speech intelligibility of children with hearing impairment after speech therapy. Therefore, the role of parental involvement in speech therapy and intelligibility was of special interest to study. The main objective of this quantitative study was to check the impact of parental involvement on the speech intelligibility of children with hearing impairment after speech therapy. A descriptive survey design was used, involving a sample of 50 parents. Data was collected through a self-developed close-ended questionnaire, which was analyzed using SPSS. Results showed a significant positive correlation between parental involvement and speech intelligibility (r = 0.535, p < 0.001). Factors such as the degree of hearing loss and time spent on speech exercises had a notable influence. The findings also highlight that active and consistent parental engagement through home practice, emotional support, and collaboration with therapists result in better speech outcomes. Specifically, parents who are trained and actively participate in reinforcing therapy strategies at home tend to have children with better speech intelligibility. This study supported the need of family-centered intervention models, parental training and access to resources in facilitating active parental involvement.