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Recently, a parent of a newly diagnosed,
hard of hearing infant contacted me. Like most parents, she and her
husband were stunned when they received the news. She was looking for
information to help them in their quest for knowledge about hearing loss
and how best to help their child. Below, I have reprinted excerpts of my
response to her. Here, you will find many valuable resources so that you
too can learn, find support and make informed decisions.
While these are some recommendations to you for information on hearing
loss and education, it is important that you do your own research and
decide what is best for your child and your family. No one, not even
medical professionals can make the determination that your child will only
be able to communicate in a certain way.
Time is of the essence once your child's loss has been diagnosed. The
faster the child is aided with hearing aids or a cochlear implant, the
less of a delay he or she will have in speech and language. If your doctor
or audiologist tells you to wait a few weeks or more to determine which
hearing aids are appropriate, run, don't walk to another professional and
get an earlier appointment. Children who cannot communicate often
experience extreme frustration and it is imperative that they begin to
learn how to communicate as quickly as possible.
Even profoundly deaf or hard of hearing children can learn to speak.
Digital hearing aids offer children (and adults like me) great access to
sounds. A cochlear implant is a surgically placed device that enables
severely hard of hearing and profoundly deaf people to hear sounds and
speech when hearing aids are inadequate. There are cochlear implant
centers in major cities around the country. At this time, the youngest age
they will do this procedure is 11-12 months old. As with any surgery,
there are risks and it is important to research this thoroughly. You can
start by visiting the cochlear implant manufacturers' web sites which are
listed in our Resource Directory (http://www.hearingexchange.com/resources/)
If you are interested in further exploring this option, make an
appointment for a consultation at a cochlear implant center. Online, you
can find web sites that offer personal experiences with cochlear implants
as well as listserves comprised of adults with cochlear implants as well
as parents of children with cochlear implants. These can also be found in
our Resource Directory.
Find out if there is a program for hearing impaired or deaf children in
your area. These programs often offer an infant center where you can go
with your child a few times a week for therapy. They will teach you how to
help your child learn the meanings of sounds and words. It is a well known
fact that parents are highly instrumental in the education of their
children and it is of even greater importance when your child is learning
to listen and communicate.
A helpful book for parents of newly diagnosed children is "Choices in
Deafness, A Parent's Guide to Communication Options" by Sue Schwartz. It
outlines the various communication methods that are available to children
who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many parents have found this to be a
useful, unbiased resource. It can be ordered through the HearingExchange
Bookstore (http://www.hearingexchange.com/bookstore/index.htm).
Visit the Oberkotter Foundation's web site at
http://www.oraldeafed.org. On
their main page they offer a FREE Parent Resource Kit called Make a Joyful
Noise. It was developed specifically for parents of newly identified deaf
and hard of hearing children. You can also order their free "Speaking for
Myself" videos for yourself and any professionals you and your child will
be working with. It is available in varying lengths and vividly
demonstrates that deaf and hard of hearing children can learn to speak.
This web site also contains a comprehensive listing of schools in the
United States and Canada that teach children with hearing loss to listen
and talk.
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG
Bell) has a website at
http://www.agbell.org. They offer a FREE, 32 page booklet entitled "So
Your Child Has a Hearing Loss: Next Steps for Parents." AG Bell also has
local chapters in states around the country and can be an excellent source
of support and information. AG Bell's national convention takes place
every two years and offers workshops and seminars for parents and
professionals. The next convention will be held in St. Louis, Missouri in
2002.
A highly informative web site that you can spend days or perhaps weeks
exploring is the Listen Up web site (http://www.listen-up.org).
You will find resources there for all communication methods: oral, sign,
total communication and cued speech. A good place to start is at:
http://www.listen-up.org/basics.htm, a page geared to parents of newly
identified children with hearing loss. You can also read many personal
accounts of people who have received cochlear implants as well as parents
of children who have received implants on this web site. Listen Up also
offers an active email discussion group (listserve) comprised of over 200
parents from around the world. It is a supportive community no matter
which communication method you choose for your child. You can "talk" by
posting questions or comments to the group or just "listen" by reading the
messages (about 25 or so per day). To find out how to join go to the main
page of that site.
As one parent I know said, “You are not eased into the world of hearing
loss, you are thrown into it head first when your child is diagnosed.” For
many people, it is quite overwhelming. But it is also a critical time for
decision-making. The best thing you can do for your child, yourself and
your family is to learn as much as you can. Be informed. Don't rely on the
professionals to tell you how to educate your child. Have high goals and
expectations. Your outlook can and will have a direct impact on the life
of your child.
| Paula
Rosenthal, J.D. is married and has three children. She, her
husband and daughter are all hearing impaired. Her sons have
normal hearing. A law school graduate, Paula is the
publisher of
http://www.HearingExchange.com, an online community for
people with hearing loss, parents of deaf and hard of
hearing children and professionals. She is also a writer and
speaker on hearing loss and related issues. To contact her,
send an email to
info@hearingexchange.com. |
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© 2001-2007 Paula Rosenthal and Taylor Rose, Inc. All rights reserved. For
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info@hearingexchange.com
with your request.
This article is one of many
in the
Paula’s Pearls group of syndicated content from HearingExchange. It may be
reproduced under certain conditions. Email Paula at
info@hearingexchange.com
for further information.
Click here for the
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