Background
A hearing loss diagnosis can be scary and overwhelming for parents of infants and toddlers. That’s why Lantern, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Helping Adults Talk to Children (HATCH) Lab at Idaho State University teamed up to create the HEAR program: a 6 month set of messages specifically designed for families of children ages birth to 3 years with suspected or confirmed hearing loss. Messages are a mix of information and encouragement, delivered once per week for 6 months. The program is available in English, Spanish and Arabic.
In the United States, 3 out of every 1,000 babies are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. More than 90% of deaf children are born to parents who hear, which can make the news of a hearing loss very unexpected. It is critical that all families with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing have access to clear, accurate information that explains the communication options for their child and how they can best support their child’s development.
Left unaddressed in infants and toddlers, hearing loss (even a mild hearing loss) can lead to delays in speech, language, and cognitive development. The HEAR program aims to empower parents with information; connect them to professionals and peers for services and support; and help them to feel confident about the future for their child and family.
Engagement
The program launched in May 2024 and to date, 566 caregivers have opted to receive the messages. This represents approximately 0.02% of those in the Lantern system with a child ages 0-3.
While HEAR messages are designed to be valuable to caregivers without requiring individuals to click on the linked resources, we can identify messages that resonated with caregivers by looking at the rate at which subscribers viewed the linked resources. The most popular messages addressed diagnosis and testing, tips for keeping hearing aids on little ears, and connecting with other families.
Impact
Lantern evaluated the HEAR program by issuing three short, mobile friendly surveys at the baseline, midpoint and end of the program. Response rates ranged from 15.7% at baseline to around 2% at mid and endpoint, which is comparable to other Lantern user surveys.
Caregivers indicated appreciating messages that were more tailored to their family’s needs. Upon completion of the program, 78% agreed that the HEAR messages were helpful in addressing their child’s hearing needs. At baseline, 22% strongly agreed they were well prepared to address their child’s hearing needs. By completion, that number increased to 55.6%. Similarly, at baseline, 24.7% strongly agreed they know who to ask for help if they have questions about their child’s hearing–upon completion, 55.6% strongly agreed.