Features covered in Deaf Education in the 21st Century:
· Information on myths and misconceptions about people who are deaf help students understand the issues and challenges that the deaf and hard of hearing population face each day
· Multiple chapters focus on cognition and personal and social development and additionally offer students important information about deaf education that is not always included in introductory material.
· A chapter that examines postsecondary opportunities and employment trends for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
· Several chapters discussing the impact of cochlear implants on language and literacy help students understand this new and complex development in deaf education.
· Extensive coverage on preparing personnel to serve individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing offers unique information, not often found in other texts, about what educators, interpreters and social service providers need to know and do to successfully work with the deaf population.
My Deaf Friend Can Do Anything You Can Do / Paperback
My Deaf Friend Can Do Anything You Can Do is an African American children’s book for all ages that celebrates tolerance and acceptance. This story features a young deaf girl and her hearing friend who convey a tale about the misunderstandings of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This book helps readers to clearly understand that deaf people can do the same tasks that others can do. In essence, My Deaf Friend Can Do Anything You Can Do helps to bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing community by giving a better, more accurate understanding of a deaf person’s life, abilities, and talents. Besides, this story also highlights aspects of bullying and promotes empathy for all.
Throughout this book readers will notice different sign language signs as they read. This book encourages others to learn sign language and open their minds and hearts to the beauty of diversity!
If you’d like to get a copy of this amazing book, then click here.
Rocket French takes you from total newbie to speaking proficient French. You’ll be conversing with French speakers in no time. Rocket French works on all angles of language acquisition: Perfect your accent, your listening skills, and your retention of what you learn.
Rocket French takes you from total newbie to speaking proficient French. You’ll be conversing with French speakers in no time. Rocket French works on all angles of language acquisition: Perfect your accent, your listening skills, and your retention of what you learn.
Caution, Hearing Impaired Child At Play 12″x12″ Sign, UV protected, weather resistant, visible day or night. Rust free .063 gauge aluminum with pre-drilled mounting holes. If you have any children with a hearing disability in the home, this is great to have installed by your driveway, or at the curb in front of your home. Safety is so important regarding your family. Easy to order! Just open the link here
Type and instantly have ASL images appear above your words. If there are more than one sign for a single English word, the software will give you choices.
You can save and print your creations, and view and retrieve drafts. Use the Dictionary to find and print individual words from the Sign Generator.; Customize Flashcards using any of the over 5,000 signs in the database.
Sign Generator American Sign Language Support for Reading CD ROM by IDR
Wireless Doorbell Red LED Flasher and Videophone White LED Alert Kit.
Wireless Doorbell is ideal for those with hearing loss. This kit includes everything to alert you to videophone and doorbell with flashing lights in 2 different rooms. The battery-powered device transmits a signal to the Wireless Flashers without the need for a electrician.
Your visitor can press the red button on the Doorbell to notify you that he has arrived, then the Wireless Flashers will immediately flash to let you know someone is outside. To read more regarding the project description and how this doorbell alert system is installed, just open the link below.
To read more on this product regarding Product details, Manufactures specs, Ratings, More reviews & Pricing, Open Link here.
*If book runs out of stock, please send me an email and I’ll let you know of its availability. Contact Ron at ronaldk@babydosign.com
It’s amazing how babies can sign at a young age. Toddlers are smarter than we think! This book is a must-have for anyone who works with children with hearing loss and their families. The information has value for professionals and families across the communication options that families might choose
Special Kids Learning Series is designed to teach and promote quality, effective, integrated learning for children with autism spectrum disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, Down syndrome, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Asperger syndrome, dyslexia and other developmental and learning disabilities. Get your ‘Special Kids Learning Series’ now!
Are you concerned about your child’s language development? Do you have a family history of late talkers or language learning disorders and want ideas on prevention? Do you need new ways to encourage language learning easily throughout the day?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you have found the right book!
Toddler Talk: Techniques & Games First Words Without Tears!
There are two other factors that complicate how children perceive verbal instruction in the classroom. Those factors are their distance from the teacher and changes in the loudness of the teacher’s voice during the day.
That, along with good eye contact, is always expected among teacher and student. No barrier of communications in this exchange.
Parents and teachers can easily notice that if a child with hearing loss is at some distance, he or she will be less likely to respond to speech, especially if noise is present from a busy fast-food restaurant or other noisy setting.
Teachers typically move throughout the classroom as they teach and provide instructions. This tactic helps young students stay focus to sound.
Therefore, they may be close to the student sometimes and far away at others.
Also, teachers change the loudness of their voice throughout the day in response to background noise level, emotional intensity and fatigue.
As a result, the loudness of the teacher’s speech relative to the noise (S/N), is constantly varying even if the child is always seated at the front of the classroom.
Distance of the child’s ear or the teacher’s microphone from the teacher’s lips.
Classroom acoustics can affect teacher voices and student listening.
The constantly varying S/N is the reason why merely seating the child close to the teacher will be inadequate to meet the child’s speech perception needs in a typical classroom setting. Preferential seating is not enough!
The relationship between the S/N and the distance from the teacher is illustrated in the chart. The level of background (ambient) noise in an occupied classroom can be 60 dB.
If you will remember, the typical vocal loudness of the teacher is also 60 dB sound pressure level (SPL).
Both the loudness of the teacher’s voice and the background noise vary continuously resulting in periods in which the S/N may be relatively favorable (i.e., +10 S/N) to unfavorable (i.e., -6 S/N).
Most classrooms have background noise levels that result in a range of S/N occurring from -6 dB to +10 dB. Changes in S/N vary from moment to moment throughout the day.
Even children seated close to the front row may be 6 to 12 feet from the teacher as he or she moves about the front of the room.
In order for the entire speech signal to be above the background noise, the S/N must be +15 dB (this assumes no benefit from early reflected sound).
Children with hearing loss, because they typically don’t perceive speech as loudly or as completely as people with normal hearing, require a S/N even greater than +15 dB if they’re to truly have equal access to verbal instruction.
The loudness of the teacher’s voice is also an important factor that needs to be taken into account when considering S/N.
Some teachers speak loudly, others have quieter voices. Classrooms with inappropriate levels of background noise require a teacher to raise the loudness of her voice for hours each day.
Reducing background noise in a classroom to an appropriate level is an obvious way to try to achieve a +15 S/N.
For children with hearing loss, the S/N level present in a classroom will be both inconsistent and insufficient to meet the listening needs of the child with hearing loss.
Addressing 12 Challenges or Barriers When Listening to Learn
Hearing loss causes a reduced “listening bubble” that is improved by hearing aids or cochlear implants, but normal hearing is not restored.
Child misses some of the communication naturally occurring in their environment but beyond their “listening bubble.”
The resulting gaps in language or world knowledge may be minimal to substantial.
Speech may be perceived with some sounds missing (i.e. high frequency consonants).
Hearing aids or cochlear implants deliver speech at a quieter loudness than what is typically heard by persons with normal hearing.
Ability to attend to verbal instruction varies over time with auditory and visual distractions, level of fatigue and interest.
When the speech puzzle is incomplete and smeared, the high pitch rapid speech of classmates can be incompletely heard and peer relationships may be affected.
Teacher vocal loudness, distance, and background noise change continuously.
Acoustic energy of speech decreases the farther away the child is from the teacher.
Background noise covers up quieter parts of speech.
Reverberation affects clarity of the perception of speech by smearing sounds, adding noise due to prolonged sound reflections and shortening the critical distance for listening.
When more effort is needed to perceive speech less energy is available to meaningfully comprehend what has been said and achievement is affected.
As previously described, there are many challenges or barriers to listening that often occur for the child with hearing loss who is listening to learn in a typical classroom.
Learning does occur for children with hearing loss.
Their special needs are met, especially when the educational system accommodates the child’s difficulties.
This is noticed in regards to perceiving verbal communication in the classroom. We can address barriers to learning.
Teachers can become aware of the effects of the day-to-day challenges to each child’s ability to learn in a typical educational environment.
Encouragement and positive re-framing focus on your youngster’s strengths and positive intentions.
By demonstrating an unconditional belief in your youngster, you lay the foundation for an “I can do!” attitude (confidence), enthusiasm and motivation for personal growth.
You offer encouragement by words, actions, and feelings. Your kid might need a hug after falling off a swing and some prodding to get back on.
Or perhaps he or she might need you to be lovingly firm through all of the tears before his or her dance class (which, of course, they’d enjoy once there).
Positive re-framing requires that you, as a provider, point out the silver lining to every cloud regarding the hearing impaired.
When a negative or potentially negative situation occurs, you re-define (re-frame) it in such a way that makes the youngster hopeful and motivated towards healthy outcomes.
For example, “You tried so hard to help daddy by carrying a big, full shopping bag. Next time we’ll have you carry a smaller one and maybe we can avoid having the bag rip.”
Encouragement and positive re-framing are especially useful in promoting a youngster’s capacity for self-appraisal.
How Do Parents Use Encouragement And Positive Re-framing?
Those two closely related techniques are often used together. You use them whenever you accurately paint a positive picture of your kid’s efforts and abilities.
With practice, you can identify and underscore positive elements for the young individual in any situation, no matter how bleak it appears.
Choose comments and questions that held your youngsters assess and praise himself, such as, “Aren’t you proud of yourself for studying for your test.”
Make encouraging comments, such as, “You sure did make the dishes sparkle!”
Re-frame discouraging situations; for example, “Yes, you got a D, but it is an honest D – you studied, you really tried and you didn’t cheat. I am proud of you.”
Boosting your kid’s self-confidence helps him have faith in his ability to confront everyday challenges and to create positive outcomes.
Some find it hard to directly accept encouraging comments but can benefit from overhearing/over “seeing” your praise. For example, when Emily is present ask a third party, “Did you know that Emily swam the length of the pool today?”
Another helpful method for interrupting undesirable behaviors and extricating your kid from negative situations is to review positive moments, “I remember when you…”
In this way, you help your youngster remember past successes, renewing his or her faith in their own ability as well as the bright side of life.
Mutual respect builds your kid’s self-esteem and sensitivity to others. Empathy, the ability to understand another’s point of view, is a necessary skills for building healthy relationships.
Parents can best teach their child about mutual respect and empathy.
This is done by demonstrating respect and understanding for him or her, for their feelings, thoughts, and experience.
Though this sounds simple, accepting a hearing impaired individual fully means accepting the child’s deafness.
If parents are shocked, saddened, confused or angry about their kid’s condition, then the parents should seek help to cope with these feelings.
In addition, the hearing family must learn to accommodate the hearing impaired toddler’s communication needs, which does not happen overnight.
Therefore, a parent might have gaps in understanding how his youngster thinks and feels about things.
This doesn’t indicate the absence of mutual respect, it indicates a communication problem that will require more patience and time to resolve.
The results are worth the investment of time and patience.
Families that base their relationships on mutual respect and empathy have an easier time living together, cooperating, and learning from one another.
How Do Parents Build Respect With And Have Empathy For Their Child?
You convey respect (or lack of it) for your deaf child by many of your daily actions.
You fail to respect your youngster when you talk down to him or her; purposely embarrass them; laugh at their efforts; exclude them from family communication; or look through their private belongings without asking permission.
You convey respect by soliciting and listening to your youngster’s opinion, by allowing him or her the latitude to negotiate his communication needs.
This also include expressing clothing preferences, choosing friends, and pursuing hobbies.
You want to send the message that you value his or her taste and individuality.
You demonstrate your respect for them through myriad of subtle actions.
But not rushing to your deaf youngster’s rescue when he or she is trying to solve a math problem, repair a broken toy, or construct a Lego skyscraper, you show respect for (and confidence in) his independent efforts and accomplishments.
Parents and caregivers should show empathy (understanding), not sympathy (pity), for challenges and obstacles that come their way due to his or her hearing loss.
Find ways to laugh, love, and in short, enjoy your hearing impaired child. All of the parental worrying, drudgeries, schedules, and heartaches should be balanced by laughter, affection, excitement, and joy.
There are no rules that say parents must always be serious.
Allow your child to rekindle your playfulness – tickle, giggle, joke, go sledding, hug, love, and be downright goofy whenever you get the chance.
Love, humor, and affection can go a long ways in regards to raising a child with hearing loss.
How parents can use humor and affection?
Love, cherish, and accept your child simply because he is himself or herself. Your child needs to know that even when he or she misbehave you still love them.
This gives them the message that you may not love some of their behaviors, but you will always love them.
This enables your child to take risks, practice problem-solving skills, and examine his behavior, without worrying whether their efforts will affect your show of affection.
Physical and emotional affection are key components of parenting. Verbal and nonverbal expressions of your feelings show your child that your support and love are everlasting.
Such actions as saying “I love you,” hugging, kissing, or affectionately playing with your child’s hair (especially when he or she is not expecting it) tell them just how special and important he is to you.
Never overlook the value of humor. Like playful playing, laughter, joking, and daily silliness greatly restore perspective.
When parents defuse tension by seeing the lighter side of a problem, children feel less threatened and take more risks in examining their difficulties.
NEVER make a joke out of your hearing impaired child – it is not funny to be ‘sacrificed’ for the sake of a good laugh.
All professionals who have the responsibility to educate children with hearing loss should recognize that hearing impaired kids have challenges in the learning environment that are barriers to their equal access to instruction and academic success.
As has been mentioned, all children in the classroom have the challenge of listening in order to comprehend information presented verbally while in the presence of inappropriate levels of background noise or reverberation.
Listening is a primary gateway to learning and although we cannot expect the millions of classrooms across the country to provide ideal acoustic conditions, we can acknowledge that inadequate classroom acoustics provide a clearly identifiable learning barrier.
Educational environments that have inadequate acoustic conditions can cause irreparable erosion of achievement for children with hearing loss by preventing them from optimally accessing verbal instruction.
The ability to achieve in the classroom is related directly to the ability to access verbal instruction. It’s so important that children communicating and interacting with their instructor is an ongoing task.
Therefore, Classroom acoustics is a vital consideration when determining the need for accommodations and specialized instruction that a student with hearing loss will need for success.
CONFERENCE OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS SERVING THE DEAF (C.E.A.S.D)
A nonprofit organization committed to improved management in programs for deaf students and educational options for deaf people.
The organization was founded in 1869 as the Conference of Superintendents and Principals of American School for the Deaf. the dream of Edward Miner Gallaudet, then president of the Columbia Institute for the Deaf and Dumb ( now GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY), was to unite school principals behind his philosophy of communication in the classroom.
Today, the group tries to promote a continuation of educational opportunities for deaf people in North America and to encourage efficient management of schools and programs for deaf people.
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Become a Certified Self-Esteem Coach for Children and Learn the Life-Impacting Secrets to Champion Kids to Elevate their Self-Esteem & Live their Best Lives…
My next door neighbor in my old neighborhood in Chicago, was concerned about the health of her soon to be born baby. You see Helen, that’s her first name, had three children already and a fourth on the way.
Young Sister’s Posing
Many afternoons, Helen would talk about her life and how some family members suffer from certain disabilities.
One cousin had a bad limp in the right leg, another uncle suffered from a blood disorder and a nephew suffered symptoms regarding hearing loss.
She knew there were many health issues in her family, but never thought it would catch up and spill over into her family. From past uncles, cousins and aunties, it was only a matter of time.
Although she know it’s not funny, but Helen would sometime just sit back, shake her head and chuckle to herself, thinking about the family tree.
How everyone’s health issue down the line affected someone else’s health in the family.
Like with any first-time mom starting a new family, she prays that her baby will be normal. Of course, all new moms want this.
But unlike many of Helen’s other friends, they’ve experienced some ‘bad luck’ with the birth of their children. (Not necessarily with the first one, but it happened with one of the others.) This wasn’t Helen’s first rodeo.
Helen wasn’t a first-time parent and could recognize anything ‘out of the ordinary’ when it comes down to monitoring the health of her children.
Considering past issues regarding her ‘family tree,’ she was prepared for anything. Then after a couple of months, she start noticing somethings not right. Helen consulted with her doctor. After further testing with an ENT specialist, just to be sure, it was confirmed.
If you suspect a hearing loss, examine the child’s speech and language development. The speech of children who have a hearing loss may sound different or less clear because they will be imitating a distorted signal.
Young Child Suffering From Hearing Loss.
Many children have had a hearing impairment since birth and have therefore not heard speech and language of the same quality as that experienced by children with normal hearing.
As a result, their language acquisition is an ongoing, effort-filled sequence instead of a gradual, easy, natural process.
Consider the scores of times small children hear a word before they can learn to actually say it. Children with an impairment do not hear as many words in their surroundings as easily, and consequently they may build a vocabulary at a much slower pace.
Improving the vocabulary of children with hearing loss is so important. Also expanding children’s hearing opportunities is a big ‘Plus’.
Their words may also be missing word endings (e.g., s, ing), and short words (e.g., the, is, it) may be missing from their speech. The children’s written work may also reflect their inability to hear.
These specific age-related behaviors can signal a hearing loss in infants and toddlers:
If you suspect that your child is hearing impaired or if you feel that sounds are not as loud as you need them to be, or that speech is muffled, it is a good idea to first have your family physician check for wax in the ear canals, infection, or a treatable disease.
Child listening carefully for sound wave.
If the problem can be treated medically or surgically, pursue that treatment.
If this is not possible, or if after treatment you or your child still has some difficulty hearing, investigate hearing help with the role of an audiologist.
To begin, ask your physician for a signed statement or form called a “medical clearance” saying that the hearing loss has been medically evaluated and that you or your child may be considered a candidate for different types of hearing aids.
This form is required by law before a hearing aid dispenser can provide you with a hearing aid. (Adults over eighteen may sign a waiver of this regulation, but for your best hearing health you should obtain a medical check-up instead.)
Then arrange for a hearing test to determine how much hearing loss there is. Get a complete hearing evaluation from a licensed audiologist who is a Fellow in the American Academy of Audiology (FAAA) and/or one with a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) issued by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA).
Seeking out an audiologist may be your best bet. Audiologists can measure hearing ability and identify the degree of loss. They can design and direct a rehabilitation program, recommend and fit the most appropriate hearing aids, and measure the hearing improvement from the use of hearing aids.
They will provide guidance and training on how to use the new hearing aids and recommend the use of other assistant technology, if it’s appropriate. They can also teach speech reading.
They can help you and your child to find solutions that reduce the effects of hearing loss by working with your spouse, family, employer, teacher, caregiver, or other medical specialist. In addition, audiologists evaluate balance, vertigo and dizziness disorders.
If a hearing aid is recommended, be certain to arrange for a trial of at least thirty days through a facility that assist you and your child in becoming oriented to the new experience of hearing with amplification. “Remember, it is a learning experience that does require time, practice, and patience.”
As your child matures through life from a young child to adulthood, their hearing situation remains the same. Once you have acknowledge the hearing loss, you decide to do something about it.
But before you even research the subject, you start receiving advice – solicited and unsolicited – from family and friends, and even medical personnel.
Some of this advice and information, regarding children & adults is accurate, but a large amount of misinformation has been circulated over the years. )
Listed below are some incorrect statements and corrected information to help you and other family members become more educated on hearing loss.
MYTH: A Mild Hearing Loss Is Nothing To Be Concerned About.
FACT: Although you may think that you are not missing important information and seem to be managing, you may not realize that your family and friends are frustrated and that you have begun to feel left out.
Not only should you be concerned about your hearing loss, you should do something about it.
MYTH: You Will Be The First Person To Notice That You Have A Hearing Loss.
FACT: Because hearing loss often occurs gradually, you may not notice it at first. Family members and co-workers often are the first to notice that you need to have questions repeated or that the television is to loud.
MYTH: Your Hearing Loss Is Normal For Your Age.
FACT: Hearing loss is not normal at any age; however, hearing loss is more prevalent among older adults than in the general population. Currently, approximately one-third of the population older than sixty-five has some degree of hearing loss.
MYTH: You Have A Sensorineural Hearing Loss (nerve deafness) And There Is Nothing You Can Do About It.
FACT: Most hearing losses can be helped with amplification and assistive listening devices. A majority of people with nerve deafness hear better by wearing hearing aids.
This form of hearing loss is not correctable with surgery. Conductive hearing loss, however, is often correctable medically or surgically.
MYTH: You Would Understand People If You Listened More Carefully.
FACT: Although paying attention, watching the speaker’s lips, and observing body language can help you understand the message, no amount of careful listening can make you understand what you can’t hear clearly.
If you have a hearing loss, you need to acknowledge it and see a trained hearing healthcare professional for an evaluation to determine if you would benefit from a hearing aid.
MYTH: Your Hearing Loss Is Not Bad Enough For A Hearing Aid.
FACT: Everyone’s hearing loss is different. Some hard of hearing people hear well on the telephone; others have difficulty. Some have no problem in a quiet one-on-one situation, but have difficulty in a nosy or group setting.
You must determine the degree of difficulty you are having, and together with a trained hearing healthcare professional, determine your need for a hearing aid.
MYTH: A Hearing Aid Will Correct Your Hearing.
FACT: A hearing aid may be helpful, but not a cure for hearing loss. Hearing aids are not like eyeglasses; they cannot correct or restore hearing to normal levels, but they will make sounds louder.
If your hearing loss can be helped with a hearing aid, then an appropriately prescribed and fitted hearing aid should make your hearing and understanding abilities better, and in turn, improve your quality of life.
MYTH: A Hearing Aid Will Damage Your Hearing.
FACT: A hearing aid will not damage your hearing.
MYTH: Your Hearing Loss Is Not Bad Enough For Two Hearing Aids.
FACT: We normally hear with two ears; therefore, most people with hearing loss in both ears can understand better with two aids than with one.
MYTH: Behind-The-Ear Hearing Aids Old Fashioned; You Will Do Much Better With The Newer In-The-Ear Hearing Aids.
FACT: Behind-the-ear hearing aids are as ‘State of the Art’ as-in-the-ear hearing aids. Some include features not found in the smaller hearing aids, and a particular feature may be important for you.
You should work closely with your hearing health care provider to ensure that the aid you get is appropriate for your particular needs. Function, not appearance, is the crucial consideration.
MYTH: You Should Have Your Hearing Tested In Your Own Home Where You Spend Most Of Your Time.
FACT: The hearing test should be conducted in a soundproof room in order to provide the most accurate results.
The information gleaned from the test is used to select the most appropriate hearing aid for your individual hearing loss.
Only individuals confined to a bed for health reasons should have hearing test in other sites such as their home.
MYTH: You Can Save A Lot Of Money Buying A Hearing Aid Through The Mail.
FACT: When you buy a hearing aid, you not only are buying a piece of equipment, you are buying the service of a hearing health care provider in your locality.
Unlike eyeglasses, hearing aids require a longer period of adjustment and often modifications that can only be made by trained personnel. The wrong hearing aid, or one that is not fitted properly, can be worse than no hearing aid at all.
MYTH: Your Hearing Loss Will Not Change In The Future.
FACT: No one can predict the future. Your hearing loss may remain stable for the rest of your life, or it may change slowly and progressively or suddenly and dramatically.
MYTH: Learn To Speech read (lipread) And You Will Understand Just Fine.
FACT: Many people benefit from taking speech reading lessons; however speechreading is not a substitute for hearing aids, but a complement to them.
Research studies have found that only about three out of ten words can be speech read clearly, only about 30 to 40 percent of speech is visible, and many words that are visible look the same on the lips (for example, ‘pat’ and ‘bat’, ‘see’ and ‘tea’.
Middle Ear Problems Accounts For Roughly One-Third Of All Pediatric Visits
For many children, earaches began in infancy. By the age of three, over two-thirds of all children have had one or more episodes of some type of ear infection including 33 percent who have had three or more episodes.
Nearly all children affected continue to have problems until the age of six or seven. Otitis media does not become rare until after age 10, and persists in some children beyond 15 years of age. Boys appear to be affected more often than girls in the younger age groups, while the trend reverses in older children.
In spite of vast increases in the pediatric use of antibiotics, the incidence of otitis media has risen sharply! But before we continue and touch on remedies and preventive measures, let me first explain what Otitis media is.
Otitis media refers to inflammation of the middle ear. When infection occurs, the condition is called “acute otitis media.” respiratory infection, and the presence of bacteria or viruses lead to the accumulation of pus and mucus behind the eardrum, blocking the Eustachian tube. This causes earache and swelling.
In regards to children under two affected with this disease, the rate has increased 224 percent. This substantial increase in otitis media has been attributed to everything from increased doctor awareness to improved diagnostic abilities.
There are even those who contend that the incidence of otitis media has increased, in part, because of the widespread use of antibiotic drugs. Parents must also keep in mind that some antibiotics, not all, can cause permanent hearing loss.
To a degree, any of the above explanations may have merit. However, there are additional factors that have emerged during the past several decades that increase a child’s susceptibility to illness such as acute otitis media
When beginning to introduce solid foods into a baby’s diet, it is important that only one food at a time be added. This way, if your child is sensitive to that food, you can identify it and avoid feeding it.
Once your child’s digestive tract has matured somewhat, you may wish to introduce the food again. The first solids your baby eats should Not be from among the most common offenders. These include:
Dairy products
Wheat
Eggs
Chocolate
Citrus
Corn
Soy
Peanuts and other nuts
Shellfish
Sugar
Yeast
Fruit Juice:
Most children consume far too much fruit juice. A glass of juice is almost purely simple carbohydrates – in other words, SUGAR. Excess sugar leads to deficiencies in immune function, such as described above.
If you must give fruit juice, dilute it with water, and don’t give it cold right out of the refrigerator. Most parents go to great lengths to make sure their baby’s formula is warm, but think nothing of feeding a bottle of cold juice from the refrigerator. Cold juice can slow digestion in a child of any age.
Honey:
Often, parents feel they are doing their child a service by feeding honey instead of sugar. This is a mistake if large quantities of honey are given, since honey contains the same sugar found in table sugar.
There is an interesting phenomenon surrounding honey. When beekeeper’s want to claim the hive, they mix a solution of sugar water and spray the bees. A solution of water and raw honey also has a calming effect on the bees.
However, when pasteurized honey is used, all bees exposed will be found dead within 20 minutes.
It is unclear why this occurs, but it seems to suggest that raw honey may be a better dietary choice for humans than pasteurized honey. Almost all honey you find in the grocery stores is pasteurized.
You have to look specifically for raw honey. A good place to start is a local food co-op or health food store.
Sugar:
A recent study showed that consumption of refined sugar was associated with low intakes of vitamin E. Recall that vitamin E is important in immune function and for regulating inflammation.
It is also low in the diets of children living in industrialized nations.
Studies has shown that when sugar is ingested, the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria can fall by as much as 60 percent. Excessive sugar inhibits fatty acid metabolism because it is high in calories but lacks the nutrients needed to make the enzymes work properly.
I suggest you read the labels carefully. Any time sugar appears among the top five or six ingredients, don’t buy the product.
Variety Of Foods:
Avoid feeding the same foods every day. Food sensitivity can be induced by over consuming a given food every day for a long period.
The solution is to rotate foods. Instead of feeding oatmeal every morning for breakfast, feed oatmeal one day, wheat cereal the next, fruit the next, and so on. With infants, rice is preferable to wheat.
If your child has known food allergies, don’t feed those foods more than once or twice a week. When you do feed them, give only small amounts.
Cooked Food:
Avoid feeding raw food to your infant. Fruits need not be cooked, but vegetables and other foods should be. Raw foods are more difficult to digest. They’re also more apt to contribute to allergy.
Also, cold food should not be fed to a child. When food is eaten cold the body must first warm it to almost 100 degrees before it can be properly utilized.
For an infant or child whose digestive system is immature, this can spell trouble.
Infant Formula:
If you choose not to breastfeed, you should know a few things about infant formula. Powdered formula mix is higher in oxidized fats than is liquid formula.
As I once stated before, oxidized fats in the diet can set the stage for inflammation and immune function problems. Some infant formulas contain aluminum in concentrations 30 to 100 times greater than that found in human milk.
Aluminum is a toxic metalloid that has been implicated in brain and kidney damage.
For healthy infants this may not be a serious problem since the blood levels of aluminum following ingestion of formula are no higher than that of breastfed infants.
In regards to cow’s milk, if this is your choice, studies have shown it causes allergic reactions in a large percentage of children.
Cow’s milk and most milk-based formulas (except Enfamil) contain insufficient amounts of the amino acid taurine.
If you do choose to feed cow’s milk to your child under age two, use whole milk rather than skim or low-fat milk. Low fat milk has a high protein-to-fat ratio, which is not suitable for infants and toddlers.
Recognize that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that no child under the age one receive whole cow’s milk.
Also recognize that cow’s milk products are found to be the most common provoking foods in children with middle ear problems and have been associated with an increased prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children at risk.
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I remember for the longest time, my stepdad had problems with his hearing and a weird feeling in his ears. He complained often about this funny whooshing, ringing in his ear. He said it was a very annoying feeling. (At the beginning, we didn’t know what the hell was going on!
Never thought about Tinnitus) We knew this ringing of the ears issue was no laughing matter, but still due to ignorance on me and my brother’s behalf, we made light jokes on my dad’s inability to hear.
I think we should have known better because we had classmates who had difficulty hearing. Of course we never knew if our classmates really had a hearing problem or were they intentionally trying to ignore the teacher.
Also, back in the day, there was no social media going on. No such thing as Facebook, Instant Messenger or Twitter to discuss problems you may have to others. Boy! Have we all got it made today.
So after a long overdue ENT ( Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist appointment, the doctor was able to evaluate him and give him a complete examination.
It was revealed dad was suffering from what’s commonly known as Tinnitus or Vertigo. The specialist told my family that 50-60 million Americans suffer from this ‘ringing in the ears.’
Today, some ENT specialist whose close with their patients, recommend handy things that could help families who’s dealing with hearing impaired family members or other relatives.
They advise these families of individuals suffering from a serious case of complete hearing loss, should have a special doorbell installed at home. This ensures that no one is left hanging around on the doorsteps ringing the buzzard, and not getting an answer, if the non-hearing person is left at home alone. This seem to be a very clever idea!
He strongly recommends VertiGONE, saying it’s the best on the market with satisfactory results from many and is very affordable. Proprietary plant based blend promotes inner ear vestibular balance for natural vertigo relief.
DIZZINESS: Targeted formula for symptom relief from spinning or swaying sensations associated with Vertigo.
MOTION SICKNESS: Fast acting motion sickness relief from cars, boats, trains, planes the natural way!
USA: Bottled and tested in a USA GMP certified facility under the highest regulatory standards.
30 DAY SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: If you aren’t 100% satisfied, send it back for a FULL REFUND.
It’s safe for anyone suffering from tinnitus and should be taken as instructed. Our family doctor ensured us, this will give our dad and anyone suffering with Tinnitus the most satisfying results. Guaranteed!
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Parents are often told, after recently completing a child testing diagnostic process, that “you have the same child that you went into the testing booth with – it’s just that you’re looking at him/her differently now. By this I mean that the ‘problem’ at this time is the parents problem, not the child.
For the parents, it’s a grief reaction; the impact of hearing loss is devastating! They’ve lost the child they thought they were going to have and the life they expected to live.
Baby born with hearing loss
This will invoke for the parents many feelings of loss.
For the child, there will be feelings associated with the hearing loss, but these will not be one of loss as almost all children with hearing losshave never heard normally or have no memory of hearing.
These children have little or no concept of what they’ve lost.
In the past, I’ve compared the parental loss to a death, but I have begun to see that this is no longer accurate.
In a death, there’s finality to the grief, there’s a burial and life can go on, albeit with pain and loss. With hearing loss the grief is chronic, lived with 24/7. The child is a constant reminder to the parents of this loss.
No matter how well adjusted the parents seem to be to the reality that their child has a hearing loss, there will be trigger events that remind them of the loss and those initial feelings of pain and sorrow return.
Triggers can be as simple as a birthday party or the anniversary of the original diagnostic evaluation. What seems to happen after the initial pain of the diagnosis is that parents learn to live in a bubble of “normal” hearing loss and adjust to understanding that hearing loss is a disabilty of their child.
So they go on each day trying not to think about it.
The trigger events remind them just how abnormal their life really is and what they’ve lost.
With the advent of newborn screening the diagnosis of hearing loss is, in most cases, going to be before the child is three months of age. The very early diagnosis seems to be a mixed blessing.
In a recent study at Emerson College, parents of children with hearing loss were asked if they would have liked to know at birth, if their child had a hearing loss. The majority answered “yes” (83%) and gave some of the following reasons:
We could have offered earlier amplification or sign language, instead of silently moving mouths;
Because I would have had more time to give the very important communication she missed for two years;
Only because of a better understanding
Those parents who said “no” (17%), they would not have liked to know their child was hard-of-hearing, gave the following reasons:
I guess I was glad that I knew at 2 days so we could get started on what we needed to do, but I missed having the bonding time;
Parents need to bond with the infant before getting swept up in the issues of hearing impairment.
Not knowing immediately gave us (Mom and child) a time to bond normally, but I’m also thankful to have found out before 6 months;
She was too sick. Knowing at birth would have been too depressing.
My experience with parents is that those who found out that their child had hearing loss at birth, are grateful that they found out so early; but regret that they didn’t have time to enjoy their baby.
They had to hit the ground running and couldn’t delight in their newborn. It seems to take a while for the early diagnosed parents to recognized their loss.
At first, gratitude for the early start dominates their thinking. It’s only when they have time to reflect that they realize what they’ve lost.
Parents with a later diagnosis often felt guilty that they had taken so long to get started and did not always appreciate the time spent thinking of their child as normal hearing.
They think of this as wasted time. I often assure them that they got a great gift in that they had this time to enjoy their child. The consensus among parents is that the most desirable time to have found out their child had a hearing loss was after three months and before six months.
Unfortunately, most screening programs are not designed to detect hearing loss after three months of age because of the difficulty of locating parents of newborns after they leave the hospital and the expense of setting up equipment in every pediatrician’s office.
Much training and effort needs to be continuously expended to provide audiologists and hospital personnel with not only the technical skills to diagnose hearing loss in very young infants, but also to develop the skills to support the infants of the parents at an emotionally vulnerable time.
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Children Are Susceptible Too Many Illnesses In Day Care.
Why Are Parents Not Being More Cautious?
The number of children spending time in day care grows each year. Health officials have estimated that approximately two-thirds of all preschool children and three-quarters of all school age children need some sort of child care while their parents work.
With this rise in day care usage comes and increased risk of illness to the children who participate.
Infants and toddlers in daycare settings are as twice as likely as those in home care to contract an illness that last more than 10 days, causes a fever of at least 102 degrees for three or more days, or requires medical attention.
For a variety of reasons, germs easily spread from child to child in the close quarters of the day care setting. A variety of infectious organisms have been isolated from day care workers and children.
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Among the most common are:
Giardia lamblia
Shigella
Salmonella
Escherichia coli
Entamoeba histolytica
Adenoviruses
Rotavirus
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus pneumoniae
A friend of mine Dr. Stanley Schuman, of the medical University of South Carolina, blames day care centers for “outbreaks of illness – diarrhea, dysentery, giardiasis, and epidemic jaundice – reminiscent of the pre-sanitation days of the 17th century.
A study published in 1984 revealed that children in daycare centers were more than 12 times as likely to be infected with Hemophilus influenzae type b. Another showed that day care children are 15 to 20 times more likely to contract giardiasis than children under maternal home care.
Researchers at the University of Alabama found that 59 percent of day care children were shedding cytomegalovirus. Cytomegalovirus (CM) was found on toys and other items frequently handled by children in the day care center.
Based on antibody testing, it was estimated that between 70 and 100 percent of day care children were infected with CMV. A study reported in the American Journal Of Public Health in 1988 compared children raised at home, raised in another home, and placed in nursery school or day care.
The investigators in this study found that, compared to children reared at home, children in daycare spent 30 percent more sick days in bed, while those raised in another home spent 19 percent more sick days in bed.
Children in day care were also likely to spend more time in hospitals than children raised at home.
A number of studies have shown that otitis media occurs more frequently in day care children than in children minded at home.
It was also determined by specialist in the field of infections and hearing loss among young children, that when they compared the rate of otitis media in children minded exclusively at home with those spending time in day care centers, they found the occurrence of otitis media to be significantly higher.
A 1988 report in the Journal of Pediatrics revealed that hospitalization for myringotomy and tube placement occurred in 21 percent of the children in day care compared with only 3 percent of those in home care.
Day care is here to stay. Many families require two incomes in order to survive. Certainly, many single parents would find it impossible to work or go to school without available day care for their children. Even the federal government has expressed its need to have mothers in the workforce.
However, the health implications of the growing day care situation are enormous. Public health officials are working to stem the rising tide on infections in day care children.
At this stage there seems to be little progress. Some have recommended mass immunization of day care children, but this carries with it a host of social, philosophical, and medical implications.
Parents and day care providers should be aware of things they can do to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. For parents, it is necessary to be aware of times when your child should be kept out of daycare.
For providers, it is important to know which children should be excluded or sent home. These are only first steps since the nature of the day care environment contributes to the spread of illness among children.
Recognize that otitis media is not considered a communicable disease in the strict sense. Yet, many of the conditions that predispose children to the development of middle ear effusion are considered communicable.
The following guidelines are useful in determining when to exclude children from day care. Children who have the following symptoms should be excluded from the child care setting until 1) a physician has certified the symptoms are not associated with an infectious agent or the child is no longer a threat to the health of other children at the center, or 2) the symptoms have subsided.
For the mildly ill child, exclusion should be based on whether there are adequate facilities and staff available to meet the needs of both the ill child and other children in the group.
FEVER: Axillary or oral temperature: 100 degrees F. or higher, or Rectal temperature: 101 degrees F. or higher; especially if accompanied by other symptoms such as vomiting, sore throat, diarrhea, headache and stiff neck, or undiagnosed rash.
RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS: Difficult or rapid breathing or severe coughing:
-child makes high-pitched croup or whooping sound after he coughs.
-child unable to lie comfortable due to continuous cough.
DIARRHEA: An increased number of abnormally loose stools in the previous 24 hours. Observe the child for other symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, or vomiting.
VOMITING: Two or more episodes of vomiting within the previous 24 hours.
EYE/NOSE DRAINAGE: Thick mucus or pus draining from the eye or nose.
SORE THROAT: Sore throat, especially when fever or swollen glands in the neck are presented.
SKIN PROBLEMS: Rash – Skin rashes, undiagnosed or contagious. Infected sores – Sores with crusty, yellow or green drainage which cannot be covered by clothing or bandages.
ITCHING: Persistent itching (or scratching) of body or scalp.
An audiologist is a licensed and/or certified professional trained to identify and measure hearing loss, and to rehabilitate those with hearing or speech problems.
Audiologist are trained to determine where hearing loss occurs, and they can assess the loss of your ability to communicate.
Educational audiologist creates a strong connection their patients. They pinpoint and identify issues in regards to Early Hearing Detection and Intervention process. You can just identify it as EHDI, for short.
Although loss can occur at any age, hearing difficulties at birth or that develop during infancy/toddler years, and not properly treated through the adult years can have serious consequences.
Baby to be tested by an audiologist
These medical people are complete professionals that perform their job well, but it’s not their job to teach sign language you or your loved ones.
School based audiologist are in a unique position to facilitate and support the developmental and educational management of individuals suffering from hearing loss.
Testing the patient’s middle ear function is important to the audiologist, for this may be the main issue that brings on other problems.
With proper hearing examination, treatment, education, and support, the individual should function as close to what a normal person should.
Audiologist who works for a special school has an ongoing responsibility and the opportunity to promote early detection and intervention of hearing loss.
The audiologist can recommend hearing aids and provide counseling and therapy to help you deal with hearing loss.
An audiologist is not a medical doctor, but may have a doctorate in audiology and thus be referred to as “DR.” An audiometrist is a person without a degree in audiology who has been given informal training in the administration of hearing test.
An audiometrist must work under the supervision of an audiologist or a physician.
They can neither diagnose hearing disorders nor interpret audiograms.
The definition of Audiology, also listed under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), is the responsibility to use his or her skills for the identification of people that are partially or fully deaf. Screening activities are generally considered health initiatives rather than special education responsibilities.
AUDIOGRAM- An audiogram is a graph produced as part of some hearing test that can be used to represent at what level of loudness you can hear different frequencies.
The audiogram form is arranged so that octave and half-octave frequencies range across the top, with the frequency increasing from left to right.
The hearing-level scale on the left side of an audiogram shows the strength of the test sound in decibels (dB).
Good news now being that thirty-eight states have Early Hearing Detection Intervention (EHDI) programs, which mandate that all newborns be screened for hearing loss before they are discharged from the hospital. You should check within your own home state to find the proper facility and hearing aid that would cater to your special needs.
At any time during your child’s life, if you and/or your pediatrician suspect that she has a hearing loss, insist that a formal hearing evaluation be performed promptly.
Management of these screenings are usually the responsibility of the audiologist. This is to make sure all the appropriate procedures are followed and all screening targets are met.
Local clinical audiologist, EHDI personnel, and the special educational audiologist work hand-in-hand combating critical health issues in a child’s hearing development.
Although some family doctors, pediatricians, and well-baby clinics can test for fluid in the middle ear – a common cause of hearing loss – they cannot measure hearing precisely. Your child should go to an audiologist, who can perform this service. He or she may also be seen by an ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT; an otolaryngologist).
Normal diagram with deep inner ear infection
Normal hearing is initially needed to understand spoken language and then, later, to produce clear speech.
Consequently, if your child experiences hearing loss during infancy and early childhood, it demands immediate attention.
Even a temporary but severe hearing loss during this time can make it very difficult for the child to learn proper oral language.
Most older children learn a combination of spoken and sign language. Written language also is very important because it is the key to educational and vocational success.
Learning excellent oral language is highly desirable, but not all people who are born deaf can master this.
Sign language is the primary way deaf people communicate with one another and the way many express themselves best.
If your child is learning sign language, you and your immediate family also must learn it. This way you will be able to teach him or her, discipline them, praise them, comfort them and laugh with him or her.
You should encourage friends and relatives to learn signing, too. Although some advocates in the deaf community prefer separate schools for deaf children, there is no reason for children with severe hearing impairment to be separated from other people because of their hearing loss. (See Teach A Deaf Child | Why An Insensitive Hearing Public?)
Hear are the signs and symptoms that should make you suspect that your child has a hearing loss and alert you to call your pediatrician:
Your child doesn’t startle at loud noises by one month or turn to the source of a sound by three or four months of age.
He or she doesn’t notice you until they see you.
He or she concentrates on gargling and other vibrating noises that they can feel, rather than experimenting with a wide variety of vowel sounds and consonants.
His or her speech is delayed or hard to understand, or he or she doesn’t say single words such as “dada” or “mama” by twelve to fifteen months of age.
Your child doesn’t always respond when called. (This is usually mistaken for inattention or resistance, but could be the result of a partial hearing loss.)
He or she seems to hear some sounds, but not others. (Some hearing loss affects only high-pitched sounds; some children have hearing loss in only one ear.)
They seem to not only hear poorly, but also has trouble holding his head steady, or is slow to sit or walk unsupported. (In some children with sensorineural hearing loss, the part of the inner ear that provides information about balance and movement of the head is also damaged.)
More than 28 million Americans have a hearing loss; 80 percent of those affected have irreversible and permanent hearing damage.
More than one-third of the United States population has a significant hearing loss by the age sixty-five.
Sixty percent of people with hearing loss are between the ages of twenty-one and sixty-five.
Sensorineural damage (damage to the hair cells and cochlea caused by genetics or exposure to noise) is the largest, single form of hearing loss, affecting 17 million Americans.
At least 15 percent of the United States population is affected by tinnitus.
Persons older than fifty years of age are twice as likely to have tinnitus.
Meniere’s disease causes bilateral hearing loss in 5 to 20 percent of cases.
More than 75 percent of people with hearing loss could benefit from using a hearing aid.
Things to take into account regarding the aging population:
Learn as much as possible about your own hearing loss.
Learn what services are best provided by otolaryngologists, audiologist, and hearing aid specialist, and chose the professional who best provides the service you need.
Together with your hearing health care specialist, evaluate hearing aids and get the one – two if recommended – that best meets your needs.
Learn assertive techniques to use with family members and other people, such as “It would help me to understand you, if you faced me when you spoke” and “I can be a part of this conversation if only one of you speaks at a time.”
Find some other sources of support, as well. It is important to meet other people with similar hearing losses, and these people may be found through membership in groups such as SHHH.
Learn some basic sign language; if nothing else, learn the alphabet. On my friend’s trip abroad after he lost his hearing, he taught his daughter to fingerspell the alphabet. She then helped him with foreign names when he was having difficulty understanding them.
Find out which assistive listening and alerting devices can help you in various situations. Keep abreast of the latest technology, since it changes rapidly.
Keep your expectations for improvement realistic.
And more important than everything else, keep your sense of humor.
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See Below How We Can Help You Or Someone You May Know:
When you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission.
These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products.
My reviews are based on my personal experience and research. I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales.
It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 12, 2016 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Challenges Presents Itself When You Teach A Deaf Child
Teach a Deaf child and receive great satisfaction
A hearing impaired youngster faces daily challenges. Depending on the hearing people he or she deals with, those challenges might be enriching, frightening, infantilizing or neutral. Understanding extended family members who give support when needed and follow the family’s communication decisions are like gold. They also realize that when they teach a deaf child, regardless if it’s a relative or not, there are great rewards.
However, this is NOT always the case for families of children with hearing problems. Sometimes the extended family neither participates nor supports the communication mode or the person-rearing style of your nuclear family.
Teachers and administrators will have a profound impact on your deaf child. Teachers have daily contact with the student and are intimately involved in the development of the student’s academic life, linguistic ability, and social self-esteem.
Teacher dealing with deaf and non-deaf children
Administrators set the tone of a program with policy-making and financial backing.
A supportive teacher will attend to both your youngster’s specific academic and communication needs.
Many public school teachers have not had much contact with these type of children and need information about how to interact with your youngster.
Teachers of the deaf will have more specific training for working with deaf children, however, they may vary greatly in their communication skills, communication philosophy, and teaching approaches.
Meet with teachers and administrators before your student begins classes.
Neighborhood children might form friendships with your kid; however, over time, and as cliques develop, the hearing impaired is more likely to be ostracized. You start to question can deafness be cured?
If your youngster has a particular talent, such as being a good athlete, his peers may seek him out as a friend because of that talent.
If he or she has other difficulties (hyperactivity or learning problems, for example) or is perceived as different by his or her peers, they may have trouble building friendships.
Neighborhood adults can play a vital role in setting the tone for interaction among children.
Let trusted adults know how to communicate with your child. In fact, include these people as an integral part of your family’s activities if possible.
Invite them to join you in planned activities. (especially those that highlight and teach about the positive aspects of deafness).
Local business can serve as your child’s practice ground for interacting with the public.
Educate local merchants about how to handle your student. Let the salespeople know how to communicate with your youngster, inform them that you will often let your kid handle interactions; and, above all, encourage them to treat your hearing impaired youngster as they would any other boy or girl.
Some young students with hearing loss become accustomed to being given things for free. Store owners or other hearing people in the community, such as school bus drivers or neighbors, like to give small gifts to a deaf child.
We have heard stories about store owners giving those kids drastically reduced prices on certain fixed price items, such as notebooks, toys, and health suppliers.
These gifts are often given with good intentions and take the place of real communications. Unfortunately, some hearing adults do this out of pity for the kid with hearing loss or to seek their affection. In all cases, the youngster begins to expect and feel entitled to receive something for nothing. Discourage such gift-giving and explain your concerns to these well-meaning adults.
If they feel compelled to give gifts to your youngster, then suggest that they do so at appropriate times, such as holidays and birthdays.
Most hearing impaired kids could tell you a multitude of stories about their school bus drivers. Some drivers go out of their way to make your kid feel safe and secure, while others actually yell and curse.
Hearing impaired girl heads out to school
Some drivers treat the hearing impaired youngster with kid glove, while others give special gifts and treats to the boys and girls.
The driver who frighten the student do so out of their own discomfort, lack of good boundaries, or inability to sense what is appropriate behavior.
Many drivers form healthy friendships with the child while many others overstep their bounds. The school, the teachers, and you should take a lead role in educating the bus drivers in handling hearing impaired youngsters.
The general public briefly glimpse your child. Depending on the circumstances and the individuals you come into contact with, you may cause questioning looks, looks of curiosity, confused responses, genuine interest, or cruel mocking.
In the past, hearing impaired youngsters have suffered many negative experiences at the hands of the ignorant hearing public.
Movies, TV commercials, special reports, news, and weekly series have all begun to show deafness and American Sign Language in a positive light.
This has fortunately altered the way the people view individuals suffering from hearing loss.
However, many people remain ignorant or insensitive about deafness. Your youngster must learn, over time, how to deal with the various reactions he receives in safe ways that maintain his or her self-integrity.
Deaf people are often characterized as “immature.” This means, in part, that on the average they have less general information, that their goals tend to be short – rather than long – range, and that they may be less likely than hearing persons to think through the consequences of their actions.
Although these impressions may not be surprising, there seems to be a little reason to believe that immaturity is inevitable; the lack of early communication within the family is cause enough for restricted growth because it deprives deaf children of the learning opportunities that are taken for granted with hearing children.
This “immaturity” is largely, if not completely, preventable. It is also important for deaf children to be given responsibility.
A comparison study of 120 deal children and their families with the same number of hearing children and their families was made in the Greater Vancouver area.
Parents were asked to check off the independent activities they would permit their child to engage in. Deaf children were allowed to do less than hearing children of the same age.
It seems that to be deaf with hearing parents may mean that you will be overprotectedand denied an important area of development.
Sometimes the fact that deaf children can accept responsibility is not understood.
Deaf adults often report that they missed much of what was said in a hearing family: ‘why’ things happen, ‘why’ you are allowed to do something at one time and not at another, and ‘why’ people feel and react the way they do.
Seeing that deaf persons can accept responsibility should help you to present your child with reasonable expectations and to see the need for early two-way communication that will enable you to give explanations when you are asked “why?”
A total communication approach fosters inclusion of your deaf child in family activities.
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These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products.
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It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.
Your child may not hear too well, but are young infants and toddlers smarter than we think?
My neighbors children were as young as 6 months old when they start learning these simple skills. But their hand control may not have quite been there yet. The children may not have had the hand control to be able to repeat moves back to anyone until he or she is 8 or 9 months old. Although, they knew it would be a time-consuming task, they had a ‘good time signing’ with their child.
My neighbor friend started teaching these skills to their children when they thought they were ready – even if they can’t mimic back yet. But when baby signing time come in a way you’d feel satisfied, then you’ll know and accept it.
Children are a lot smarter about language than we thought, and can communicate in gestures. Toddlers also appear to be much more intellectually advanced.
Toddler Getting Ears Tested
Like with my neighbor’s family, It’s only natural that his wife wanted all her children healthy at birth with no medical concerns at all.Hearing issues should not hinder a child’s developmental growth in life.
The family was informed from medical professionals and other parents who’ve gone through this, that it is not an easy task if hearing issues arise. So it’s suggested they learn and teach their children sign language if need be.
It’s also brought to their attention that many kids are born with this type of disability.
Parent’s glow in the moment of any new addition to the family. Their only concern is their child’s development as he or she grows older through life. But in case something is wrong, there is help for parents of children with hearing loss or partial impairment.
You’ve noticed something’s not right with your child. You try speaking, he or she doesn’t acknowledge your presence; unless you are standing right in front of them (see hearing loss symptoms in children).
After weeks of concern, you take the child in for an evaluation. But just for precautions, you start looking into the importance of special needs for toddlers.
You’ll be amazed to learn that when you teach baby signs so early in their young lives, it’ll be much easier for them to adapt and communicate better among a hearing community.
After further review you come to find your child has partially hearing loss in both ears. The doctor informed you that some infants are unfortunately born this way.
The doctor also points out that educating yourself on early detection involving a child’s hearing issue is something that he recommends to all concerned parents.
An interpreter for the deaf using sign language
He then question about the family history, and as far as they know, the immediate family is fine.
My friend’s family also tell their doctor that they’re not sure of the hearing health of other distant relatives in your family tree.
So while in conference with the doctor, they have many questions.
At this point, they want to get the full understanding of this devastating disability that could possibly hit the family. The doctor also mention reading a report on hearing impairment: definitions, assessment management that can help further the understanding of certain words that may be puzzling.
All this brings to mind back in late September 1960, when I was growing up on the west side of Chicago, (better known as the ‘Windy City’), we had a favorite family we’d visit two houses down in the next block.
Fall was here and a new school year had just begun.
Mr & Mrs. Robbins, I recall was the name. We knew them for years. Mr. & Mrs. Robbin’s and the kids appeared to be basically in good health; as far as I could tell.
They had three other daughters. The oldest brother was my best friend in school. Back during those times, I never took it seriously when some one had some type of disability.
I was just a young ignorant kid out having fun without a care in the world. No rent to pay. No bills to deal with.
The only thing I placed all my focus on was chasing the girls and seeing what I could get out of them.
But while in school I did have a best friend. My friend’s name was Raymond. He was cool and we got along just great. I got to know his sister’s as well.
Young sister’s happily posing
But as our friendship grew, I started to notice something about Raymond that really irritated me.
Every time I spoke to Raymond, most of the time he ignores me. Hey, was he doing this on purpose or just playing around?
This is my best friend! What’s wrong with him? What in the world did I do?”
Later at home, I’d spoke with my mom about Raymond’s behavior. Sometimes he’d talk, other times he would not pay any attention to me.
I found out later Raymond was suffering from hearing loss and was very surprised (you can imagine how I felt; especially after the way he was teased called stupid.
Boy! I felt like kicking myself right in the butt. I didn’t know! To think, poor Raymond just couldn’t help himself.
You would think the teachers and other school staff members knew of Raymond’s condition, but I was never aware.
Families back during those times, (I’m talking about the late 50’s) didn’t have the money or any type of resources to help their child who were born with a hearing impairment.
Boy discover sound during left ear hearing test.
My family didn’t have much either, but still tried to offer financial support to the Robbins family.
Now that I think back today, hospitals back then were not too knowledgeable in regards to treating hearing loss.
I don’t believe they had any good, qualified men or women who specialized in this field. Parents searching for treatment for their baby were not well-informed.
Not many teachers during this time were available. More classrooms specializing in hearing disabilities would have been very helpful back then.
So in conclusion to Raymond’s story, it makes us feel lucky that with today’s advanced early hearing detection and universal screening regarding symptoms of hearing loss, we’re able to offer hearing impaired children a better quality of life.
What’s good now is the fact that a person can take courses specializing in this particular field and attend any of the listed schools offered in your state. Even your local community college may offer this in their school curriculum.
People that just can’t afford college classes can now apply for a federal grant and start educating themselves.
There are other helpful tools and material offered online. Some in the form of books, games, flashcards and websites such as special needs fact sheet on hearing impairment that you can use to help through the training process. Also look into “Imitation Exploration, songs, visuals CD for Speech & language Learning.”
Let it be known that a child with a hearing impairment can be taught to communicate through body and facial motion, but not all will learn to speak clearly. Some children learn to lip-read well, while others never fully mastered the skill. Some at a much slower pace than others.
Now you just have to pay a little more attention. Just as learning to crawl is so exciting that it inspires young children to learn to walk.
As far as not being able to hear, the young child is still too young to realize why the world that surrounds him or her is silent. The only comforting thing is knowing you’re there.
It’s also worth noting that music, songs and chants are a perfect medium for helping children develop vocabulary and strong language skills. It’s easy to understand, therefore, how songs can be a useful way to practice and reinforce communication as well.
If you enjoy singing with your disabled child, you can sing and motion in baby signing time, during your daily communicating activities.
So remember, a loving bond between a parent and their hearing impaired child is the greatest feat a parent could ever accomplish.
When you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission. These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products. My reviews are based on my personal experience and research. I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales. It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.
Teaching Toddlers Sign Language Raises The Communication Process.
Education is ‘key’ when learning to teach baby sign
Maybe you’re reading a book just to educate yourself on how the ear works.Or you may want to show your youngster a new educational toy, show fun pictures or work on a new word.
Even if it’s just something as simple as changing a diaper or feeding a child, you’re doing invaluable work. But in regards to disabled children with hearing issues, you have to be some type of ‘special person.’ In fact, quite a smart move! In regards to the importance of caring and the teaching task you perform each day, there is no hierarchy.
In the beginning, start simply with activities and words you already frequently use.
When you spend time communicating, it’s a very rewarding experience for both the child. Signing validates the work of early childhood educators because it accentuates the importance of your interactions with children.
MORE/MEALS – Bring your hands together and gently tap your fingers together repeatedly.
Once you’ve come to the realization regarding your child’s issues, you must then resort to learning the necessary signing techniques to communicate.
There are benefits to parents in regards to babies communicating early. It bridges the gap between comprehension (understanding language) and expression (speaking).
Toddlers who sign experience less frustration. When a child has a way to express her needs and wants, there is less opportunity for frustration to set in.
Young children soon discover that signing is more satisfying an productive than crying or grunting and pointing. Showing and interacting with them through a list of children’s books featuring deaf characters, will help the communication process go smoothly.
Think of this: You’re feeding your baby and he or she looks at you with their mouth open.
He or she in indicating wanting more. You say; “Oh, you want more?” while mimicking more.
If your child isn’t looking at you, but is looking at the baby food jar or box of mini crackers, what you can do is make the ‘more‘ sign right in front of the food and say “more.”
He or she may eat them quickly and reach for the box to indicate she wants more. To practice communicating ‘more’, give the baby just a couple of bites of food at a time, then you’ll have the chance to repeat the ‘more’ sign over and over.
The daily care you give your child during meals, diapering, and dressing is the best place to start using this special language. It is in these care giving rituals that relationships and trust form. Constant communication is ‘key’ for parents of hearing impaired toddlers.
MEAL-TIME – Tap your fingertips to lips as if eating.
Children who communicate this way develop larger vocabularies in the early stages of language acquisition.
Research proves that by age two, these children have 50 more words than those who don’t use the other form of communication.
Communication through these skills is ‘key’ to a child’s expansion and understanding.
Youngter’s who learn can also experience a close bond with their caregivers. The real reason to encourage this is to support relationships through successful communication.
ALL DONE/FINISH – Move open hands outward as if
finished with something or pushing something away.
Now that you are communicating ‘more’ and ‘all done’ throughout the day, begin adding other ones within your daily routine.
Using these skills throughout the day is great because they are meaningful to the children.
The repetition also provides practice. Young kids need to see and hear you mimic over and over before they will produce it.
Children thrive when they have an environment that provides predictability.
Using these special skills within your daily routine adds another level of predictability for kids, thus fostering their feelings of security and safety while they are in your care.
Although some toddlers will be able to rotate their wrists to imitate ‘all done,’ here are some common ways children sign ‘all done:’
Flapping their hands in front of them
Pushing their hands toward you
Opening and closing their hands several times
Swing their hands from side to side
Young Kids Seems To Understand A Few Words.
He or she lets us know through their eye contact and body language that they understand words. For example; when a child looks up to you with a special awareness, anticipation, and intelligence, you can see they knows what you are talking about.
Say another person’s name, they looks to that person. When you mention that it is time to go outside, the child looks towards the door.
When little children have these symbols in their heads, but they do not have the oral motor skills to produce the words, it’s the perfect time to begin teaching baby sign language and using all skills you’ve learned.
It not only gives them visual symbols for the words (as they watch you repeat the word and mimic together), it will soon give them the ability to communicate with their hands. MOST BABIES POINT
Some toddlers start pointing at objects as early as eight months. Most master pointing and do so in a deliberate and determined way by 12 – 14 months.
Pointing is an amazing early accomplishment that is easy to take for granted because it is such a natural part of our daily communication system.
Over time, as you understand how complex the act of pointing is, you can see how closely it is related to communication and language.
The most important thing to remember is that language develops through interaction.
MORE – Baby pointing to hand to communicate ‘more’.
Pointing is symbolic. In doing so, the child makes an imaginary line, connecting the object in the distance to the end of his or her finger.
The child also trust those with whom they hope to communicate can do the same.
‘More’ is usually the first one the child produce. They get a lot of reinforcement when they communicate ‘more’ and get ‘more’ of what they desire. Often, they will generalize this sign once they’ve found it to be successful.
They will mimic ‘more’ for everything;’ every time they want to communicate.’
This is similar to generalizations that toddlers make when they’re learning to talk. For example, a child will learn the word ‘dog’ and will call all animals ‘dog’. After practicing the new word or sign, they will begin to differentiate.
Generalization is a normal process in language development.
It is good to communicate eat and drink often, particularly at meal and snack time.
Remember And Understand That Babies Aren’t The Same. Most Have Different Comprehension Levels.
DRINK – Cup a hand at your mouth and tip your head up as if drinking from a cup.
With drinks, parents should consider mimicking drink to represent all drinks, or use specific signs, such as bottle, juice, milk, and water.
When your child start mimicking this back to you, you should follow up with; ” Want more to drink?” Repeat saying this a few times just to to make sure this is what he or she wants from you.
Water is a sign that up often, not only in terms of drinking, but because many children love playing in water during baths and water play.
A child will typically modify ‘water’ by putting one finger to their lips.
Always remember in regards to beginning actions, that before a they can speak, he or she can communicate their needs by gesturing, gazing with their eyes, using facial expressions, him or her kicking their feet and waving their arms when their happy.
Sometime they may even throw things or push things away when they’re mad or upset. Two basic needs babies will communicate first are ‘more’ (“I like that,” “I want more of that,” “That makes me happy.”) and the other ‘all done’ or ‘finished’ (“No thanks,” “I’m done with that,” “Stop,” “I don’t like it,” “Take it away.”)
Learn these two and use them consistently throughout the day. These two things will satisfy more needs when communicating with preverbal babies.
PAIN – Touch your fingertips together quickly on your forehead to sign headache.
Pain, hurt or ouch are directional signs. So if your ear hurts, you should communicate ‘hurt’ near your ear. If your knee hurts, communicate sign ‘hurt’ near your knee.
Keep in mind that most children will not mimic this until they are 12 months old.
But it’ll be good practice for you to start teaching this skill early. In reality, you can work with a young child at any age.
This action from the child can be an invaluable tool one day, when a baby has an earache and can actually tell you she is in pain.
When he or she sees this action mimicked, they will know playtime has ended. All toys put away for the day, pj’s on and now it’s time for bed time.
If it’s during the afternoon, he or she will know it’s nap time.
You may have to repeat this one a couple of times for you may fight a little defiance from your child. But they’ll soon recognize that it’s time for bed.
A couple in my old neighborhood had two children; one was totally deaf and the other slightly hearing impaired. Testing at a well known ENT clinic, which also houses an audiologist office confirmed the children’s hearing status. At ages 10 months and two years old respectively, the parents realized a rough road ahead raising a hearing impaired child.
The couple’s only recourse was to gain knowledge into the world of sign language. To their amazement, they discovered the perfect tool that helped them gain the knowledge they needed to work with their children.
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When you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission.
These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products.
My reviews are based on my personal experience and research. I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales.
It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.
With practice, you can identify and underscore positive elements for the young individual in any situation, no matter how bleak it appears.
age. Boys appear to be affected more often than girls in the younger age groups, while the trend reverses in older children.
no laughing matter, but still due to ignorance on me and my brother’s behalf, we made light jokes on my dad’s inability to hear.
Our family doctor ensured us, this will give our dad and anyone suffering with Tinnitus the most satisfying results. Guaranteed!
instead of silently moving mouths;
An interpreter for the deaf using sign language
A child will typically modify ‘water’ by putting one finger to their lips.
You may have to repeat this one a couple of times for you may fight a little defiance from your child. But they’ll soon recognize that it’s time for bed.
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