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10/13/2017  |   12:45 PM - 1:45 PM   |  East Ballroom at Shalala Student Services Building

The Role of a Psychologist in a Pediatric Hearing Loss Program

Childhood hearing loss has major effects on children’s development across a variety of domains (e.g., social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive) and also affects the family system as a whole (Quittner, Cejas, Barnard, & Niparko, 2016). To date, the majority of studies of young, deaf children have focused on the development of auditory skills and spoken language, without considering the significant influence of family variables (ethnicity, SES, culture). Recent evidence has shown that parents raising children with hearing loss report higher levels of stress in their parenting role, lower levels of sensitivity during parent-child interactions, and use fewer higher level language strategies than parents of hearing children (Cruz et al, 2013; Quittner et al, 2013). Despite this, psychologists and/or mental health professionals are rarely incorporated in audiology programs. Psychologists have the potential to assist audiologists and other hearing health providers with identifying barriers and access to treatment options, improving adherence to amplification, diagnosing comorbid developmental issues, and conducting interventions to assist with parenting or other mental health conditions (depression, anxiety). As a psychologist and program director of a pediatric cochlear implant program, I will discuss the role and benefits of including mental health providers into comprehensive audiology programs. More importantly, strategies for assessing psychosocial barriers and assessing for parental stress and well-being when mental health providers are not available will be discussed. Lastly, the importance of considering cultural sensitivity and family variables (SES, education, resources) into the personalized family intervention plan will be addressed.

• 1. Discuss the benefits and role of a psychologist as part of an audiology team.
• 2. Describe assessments of behavioral and emotional functioning that can be incorporated into your clinical practice.
• 3. Identify when families should be referred to a psychologist or mental health specialist.

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Ivette Cejas (POC,Primary Presenter), University of Miami, icejas@med.miami.edu;
Dr. Ivette Cejas is the Director of the Barton G Kids Hear Now Cochlear Implant Family Resource Center and Associate Professor at the UHealth Ear Institute. She is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Florida. Dr. Cejas is a well-known researcher in the area of pediatric cochlear implantation, publishing over 20 articles/chapters and presenting at numerous conferences. Since 2004 she has been providing therapeutic services to children and families coping with a hearing loss diagnosis or comorbid disorders. She is an advocate for all children with hearing loss and organizes a mentoring program at UHealth to help prepare children and families for the journey of listening through cochlear implantation. She is on the Board of Directors at AG Bell and is a member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance. Dr. Ivette Cejas is the Director of the Barton G Kids Hear Now Cochlear Implant Family Resource Center and Assistant Professor at the UHealth Ear Institute. She is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Florida. Dr. Cejas is a well-known researcher in the area of pediatric cochlear implantation, publishing over 20 articles/chapters and presenting at numerous conferences. Since 2004 she has been providing therapeutic services to children and families coping with a hearing loss diagnosis or comorbid disorders. She is an advocate for all children with hearing loss and organizes a mentoring program at UHealth to help prepare children and families for the journey of listening through cochlear implantation. She is on the Board of Directors at AG Bell and is a member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance.