Working with Families of Young Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Through Tele-Intervention

Tele-intervention services have been utilized for many years to serve families of young children, in addition to or in lieu of traditional in-person intervention services. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic cultivated urgent dependence on access to effective services via a distance connection. As such, the need for information, guidance, and resources related to tele-intervention as a primary service model has increased. This article serves as the introduction to a monographic series aiming to describe practices, circumstances, and perceptions surrounding tele-intervention services for families of children aged birth to five who are deaf or hard of hearing. Topics include: (a) a brief history of tele-intervention as a service delivery model, (b) an overview of tele-intervention for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including the impact of COVID-19 on emergency virtual services, (c) a description of the components of a tele-intervention session with families of infants and toddlers, and (d) a discussion of the challenges implementing services via tele-intervention. Figures containing information related to state funding and ideal session components for tele-intervention services are provided