Early Intervention Programs: Therapy Needs of Children Ages 0–3 Years Pre- and Post-cochlear Implantation

This chapter provides a rationale and guidelines for quality birth-to-3 early intervention services for children with cochlear implants and their families. It outlines the positive benefit of early intervention for children with hearing loss and their families if the child is enrolled soon after diagnosis in an intervention program, if intervention services are provided by qualified and experienced professionals, and if the services the family and child receive are designed to maximize listening, language, and literacy development which will carry over to the child’s daily home and community environments. A framework for designing and delivering therapy content across a continuum of chronological and listening ages is shared, including strategies that enhance listening, language, and literacy and activities professionals can utilize with parents and their children who are pre- and post-cochlear implantation. Included are therapy needs for the child and parent both pre- and post-implant, and guidelines for the interventionist and recommendations for carryover activities that parents and their child can engage in at home during daily routines.