Signs that may indicate that your child has hearing problems:
Your child is inconsistently responding to sounds.
Language and speech development is delayed.
Speech is unclear.
The child starts sitting closer to the TV or turns up the volume.
Your child does not follow directions.
Your child often says “Huh?”
Your child does not respond when called.
Advice to children with hearing loss and their families:
Use your hearing aid and get used to it.
Do not be ashamed that you/ your child are suffering from a hearing loss.
Ensure that the people who talk to you are looking at you.
Tell others that they can touch you if they wish to contact you.
Tell people what you want in order to hear better and how you like people to act.
Always take your hearing aid to parties.
Do not let the child’s hearing loss become a bigger problem than it is.
Support the child and restore his/her confidence.
Do not repeat what other people say.
Do not feel or show guilt because your child has a hearing problem.
Accept the child as he/she is.
Avoid unnecessary attention because of the hearing problem.
Tips for Teaching Children with Hearing Loss:
Hearing aids amplifies all sounds, including background noise. Therefore, noises such as heating and ventilation clicks and whirs, moving furniture, chairs scraping against tile, shuffling feet and noise from busy roads outside should be eliminated or reduced as much as possible. Minimizing noise in the classroom can be accomplished by making Relatively minor acoustical modifications, such as:
Putting pads on chair, table and desk legs to reduce noise.
Installing carpeting in the classroom.
Installing double-paned windows.
Ensuring that heating/ventilation systems are operating properly.
Outline the day’s work on the blackboard.
Students with hearing loss should be offered a wide variety of support services, such as; speech therapists.
Good lighting is essential for lip reading. Natural light is best. Stand where light is good but not too strong.
The student should be seated near the front and side of the classroom so that s/he can easily see you, but also see the other students.
All students should speak one at a time and wait to be called upon. It’s helpful for the teacher to point to the child who is about to speak, allowing the student with hearing loss to make visual contact.
Work hard to avoid speaking while you’re writing on the blackboard. Students with hearing loss can’t read your lips with your back turned.
Write all homework assignments, class instructions, and procedural changes on the chalkboard.
Speak slowly, naturally, and clearly. Do NOT shout!!!
