A Framework for Decisions for Parents Along the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Journey

Parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) must make many complex decisions during their child's infancy and early childhood. Identifying key decision points will help guide the development of shared decision-making tools. We began by identifying 4 domains to classify the decisions for D/HH children: developmental, cultural/belonging, audiological, and medical. In partnership with clinical experts and individuals with relevant lived experiences, a framework was developed to classify the types of decisions that caregivers need to make over time, illustrating how families can make different decisions based on their values and specific circumstances, leading to individualized journeys that meet their children's needs. The framework provides a summary to clinicians working with D/HH children about the challenging decisions that parents need to make and guidance for developing clinical decision-support tools for families.