There are two schools in Singapore providing special education for children with a hearing impairment. They are the Canossian School and the Singapore School for the Deaf.

The pupils at the Singapore School for the Deaf are taught through total communication, which includes the use of speech and sign language.

Canossian School uses the Natural Auditory-Oral approach. This is to prepare them to be independent and active participative individuals for integration into the mainstream education and also into society at large, despite their disability.

The word deaf is defined, "as without the hearing". We know that a person who is “deaf” is not totally without hearing. Like shortsightedness, it is a question of the degree of hearing loss ranging from mild, moderate, severe to profound. In most cases, a deaf person misses out on some portions of the auditory spectrum of normal speech, resulting in his/her “inability” to hear. It is therefore inappropriate to describe a person as deaf. (and to give dignity to our less fortunate) We have therefore stopped using the word deaf in preference to hearing impaired to describe our children.

Most hearing impaired children do not have other physical or birth defects. Except for their inability to hear normal speech., most of them are normal, physically and intellectually, just like other kids.

The fact that a hearing impaired person has some residual hearing even in the most profound cases , this gives hope that he/she can develop speech and be given an education comparable to his/her hearing peers.

All children learn language by listening to the world around them, by imitating sounds and using them to interact with people around them – the Natural Auditory Oral Approach.

Hearing Impaired children can also learn which is also known as language by using this mode of communication.

Canossian School uses the natural auditory-oral approach method of instruction in teaching hearing-impaired children. This is because it is the normal biological pathway. The auditory-oral method maximizes the use of residual hearing. It works on the basis that language speech and cognitive skills are developed principally through listening.

Good audiological management is important in order to improve the child’s hearing.

· Proper fitting of the ear moulds to eliminate feedback and the correct adjustment of the hearing aids are prerequisites for getting best results from hearing aids.

· New medical procedures in the cochlear implant is currently available. It has significantly improved the degree of hearing for the hearing impaired. A high percentage of hearing-impaired children can hear almost all the sounds of the English speech with the amplification of the cochlear implant!