Hearing impairments in young children can be devastating emotionally and physically for the family unit. Your child may be displaying delayed advancement, speech disorders or behavior problems. Newborn screening is standardized, but this doesn’t mean that your young child could not develop a hearing impairment with repeated ear infections or illness. Once you know what the hearing impairment consists of, treating the main problem is encouraged. In the interim, learning proper communication with your young child is essential to their health and well-being. The type of communication established will depend on the severity of your child’s auditory impairment. In some severe cases, the family unit should take American Sign Language classes. For the purposes of this article, discussion on treating communication disorders with the slight to moderately hearing impaired children will be explored.
Instructions
1. Learn your child’s body language. This is truly one of the most important steps to keeping open communication with your young child. Watch facial expressions and triggers to temper tantrums. If you see that your child is becoming agitated then try a little distraction technique. This is especially important if you are trying to teach your child a new skill or word. If they are growing cranky, not paying attention or starting to cry, it is time to stop the lesson. Remember, positive reinforcement is key to learning any new skill.
2. Provide assisting devices when needed. For the moderately hearing impaired child, certain medical implements, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants, may be beneficial in introducing your child to the auditory world. The hearing impaired child usually hears as if she is under water, making your distinct word sounds garbled to her little ears.
3. Enroll your youth in speech therapy immediately. Certain insurance companies will cover these visits if ordered by your pediatrician. Speech therapists will work with your child on a regular basis, teasing out letter, word and sentence structures. They can provide assignments that you can work on together at home. Depending upon the severity of the communication disorder, your visits can range from once to daily on a weekly basis.
4. Remain patient and true to your word. Simply because your child is hearing impaired does not mean he is unintelligent. If you say no, mean it. Try not to give in to your child thinking that perhaps they misunderstood you. The child will then learn that their hearing impairment is not a tool to be used against you when being disciplined!
5. Get their teachers and school involved in the child’s treatment. Most schools employ speech therapists and nurses who can assist you. Guidance counselors will be able to track your child’s progress at school and offer special classes if required.
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