Effectiveness of unified protocols for online transdiagnostic treatment on social-emotional skills and parent-child interaction in school-aged children with cochlear implants

Objectives: Children with cochlear implants have limitations in emotional and cognitive social maturity which impact on their future emotional, social, and cognitive development. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a unified protocol for online transdiagnostic treatment program on social-emotional skills (self -regulation, social competence, responsibility, sympathy) and parent-child interaction (conflict, dependence, closeness) in children with cochlear implant. Materials and methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test and follow-up. Mothers of 18 children with cochlear implant aged from 8 to 11 years were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. 10 weeks of semi-weekly sessions for a total of 20 sessions around 90 min for children and 30 min for their parents were selected. Social-emotional assets, resilience scale (SEARS) and children parent relationship scale (CPRS) were selected to evaluate social-emotional skills and parent-child interaction respec-tively. We used Cronbach alpha, Chi-square test, independent sample t-test, and univariate ANOVA for statistical analyses. Results: Behavioral tests had relatively high internal reliability. Means scores in self-regulation was statistically different in pre-test and post-test conditions (p-value = 0.005) and pre-test and follow-up conditions (p-value = 0.024). Total means scores were showed a significant difference in pretest and post-test (p-value = 0.007) not in follow-up (p > 0.05). The interventional program could improve the parent-child relationship only in conflict and dependence (p < 0.05), and it was constant with time (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated an effect of online transdiagnostic treatment program on social-emotional skills of children with cochlear implants, especially in self-regulation and total score which were stable after three months in self-regulation. Moreover, this program could impact on the parent-child interaction only in conflict and dependence which was stable with time.