Finding out that
your child is hearing impaired or has hearing loss is
a shock for most parents. It is a time of tremendous emotional
turmoil, as parents deal with a range of emotions. At
the same time, realize that there are now many practical
issues that must be addressed.
For those of you who have just learned your child is deaf
or hard of hearing, you'll find yourself learning a lot
over the next days, weeks, and months. But while it may
seem overwhelming, keep in mind that there are important
things you can to do right now. The rest will come in
time:
- Keep loving, playing with, singing to, and talking
to your baby.
- Get your child fitted with hearing aids by a pediatric
audiologist as soon as possible after diagnosis.
- Find a good professional to begin listening therapy
with your child.
- Then take the time to investigate and consider
the various educational options for the long term.
You'll find a great deal of information right here.
You can also drop by Canossian School at 1, Sallim
Road for more information and have a chat with our
staff and see our children.
Things you should know
There are many theories about education of the hearing
impaired, and there are people who feel passionately
about each of them.
As you make your decisions, you should know that a
significant body of research supports the following
facts:
Hearing Impairment as measured by an audiogram does
not predict a child's verbal abilities. Some people
believe that the most profoundly hearing impaired children
(as indicated by their audiograms) will never hear well
enough to listen or speak. However, research shows that
the audiogram is not a predictor of oral success. Most
profoundly hearing impaired children have the potential
to learn to speak.
The earlier you start auditory -oral education, the
better the results will be. Intervention can begin at
birth, and should begin as soon as the hearing loss
is identified.
Listening is basic to spoken language. A child who
learns to listen at a young age will also be better
able to speak.
Spoken language supports literacy. Historically, many
hearing impaired children have had low literacy levels.
Auditory-Oral hearing impaired children are more likely
to read at their grade level, which also supports other
academic growth.
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