Objective: To develop a PERMA-based Orff music intervention program for children with cochlear implants and to evaluate its preliminary effectiveness in rehabilitation.
Methods: The intervention program was developed based on the PERMA model of positive psychology and Orff music therapy through a combination of literature review and the Delphi method. A panel of 15 experts in clinical medicine, rehabilitation, and nursing participated in two rounds of consultation to refine the program. Subsequently, a quasi-experimental study was conducted with 15 children who had cochlear implants to assess feasibility and potential effectiveness. Outcome measures included auditory, speech, and psychosocial indicators, evaluated before and after a 3-month intervention.
Results: All experts completed both rounds of consultation, with importance ratings ranging from 4.2 to 5.0, indicating high consensus. The final intervention framework comprised 5 primary, 15 secondary, and 15 tertiary components. Following the 3-month intervention, significant improvements were observed across all outcome measures (p < 0.05). The program also demonstrated good acceptability and feasibility.
Conclusions: The PERMA-based Orff music intervention showed preliminary effectiveness in improving auditory, speech, and psychosocial outcomes in children with cochlear implants. This multidimensional approach may provide a useful reference for developing comprehensive rehabilitation strategies in pediatric clinical practice. At the same time, the study results provide preliminary observational data on the feasibility of the intervention, which can serve as a reference for the design of future randomized controlled trials.
Keywords: Children; Cochlear implant; Delphi method; Orff music; PERMA model.
© 2026. The Author(s).