The Ear Foundation conducted a study using Telecare for Teens and Tweens at the annual Ear Foundation & Euro-CIU 2017 European Friendship Week. Thirty teens and tweens from six different countries, together with country and activity leaders, participated in the event in Yorkshire, England, in July. The young people were all cochlear implant users.
Prior to arriving at the camp, the participants were asked to fill out Ida Telecare for Teens and Tweens tools: Living Well, My Turn to Talk, and Why Improve My Communication. They were then brought together in discussion groups to compare their answers, which included sharing their most challenging situations and the strategies they would use to cope in those situations.
Both the group leaders and the teens found the tools to be useful, with the group leaders commenting that the tools saved time because the teens came in with prepared answers. They also highlighted that teens and tweens could use the tools for self-learning and to recognize what situations were complicated for them and how they could be improved. Activity leaders also found that completing the tools online at home gave the teens a “safe, objective and natural environment platform to voice their thoughts and struggles which they could also share with their family, friends and professionals, and peers so they do not struggle.”
Parents of the participants also expressed appreciation that the tools were easy to use and accessible from home.