HEARING LOSS OR NOT: CREATE WAYS TO TALK WITH YOUR CHILD
HEAR, HEAR: Active listening helps you understand what your child is saying, and helps you to know if they understand what you are saying. It is equally important to listen to what your child is saying as it is to talk to your child.
BY GAYLA H. GUIGNARD, M.A., CCC-A/SLP, LSLS CERT. AVT AND MELODY BERTRAND
As the parent of a young child, you know that many children come curious and eager to learn. Whether they are full of wide-eyed wonder or need specific support and intervention to notice the world around them, the role of the parent cannot be overstated. Helping your child to understand their world is one of the most important things we learn to do as parents. And one of the main ways children learn about their world is through language and communication.
When a child is first diagnosed with a hearing loss, immediately parents are asked to make decisions that will impact how their child will learn language. These decisions come with a wide range of emotion and concern about what communication method(s) to choose. Many parents may feel pressure to decide and for good reason: time is of the utmost importance when it comes to language and communication development. When a child can't communicate, the brain is not growing the connections it needs to understand language. Without those connections, the child will struggle to communicate with the world around them.
For parents who choose for their child to use a hearing aid or cochlear implant, the child generally begins using the hearing tech
nology right away. But what happens after their ears are “turned on”? How do they “catch up” to other children who have typical hearing?
Whether your child has a hearing loss or needs other supports to communicate, creating a languagerich environment in the home is key to building language and communication skills your child can use to thrive outside the home. The tips on the following page are some ways to help your child interact and engage with you every day to meaningfully grow language and vocabulary.
FOUR E'S OF HEARING LOSS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
When a child can't hear well, their brain is not growing the connections it needs to understand language. Without those connections, they'll struggle to understand speech and to speak themselves. Remember the 4 Es:
- Early Identification — have your child's hearing tested by a pediatric audiologist
- Early Amplification — if your child is found to be deaf or hard of hearing, they may need hearing aids or cochlear implants
- Early Intervention — with qualified therapists who will partner with you and your family to help your child develop listening and spoken language
- Early Bonding — which means a lot of listening and talking with your child and between your loved ones