Guide to Parents
- Guide to Parents
- Role of Parents
Guide to Parents of Childrens with Hearing Impairment
Especially for a Child Hearing Impairment
- Encourage your child to wear the hearing aid for all his waking hours.
- The child should be exposed to only one language until he develops his basic language skills (a second language can be introduced at the appropriate time)
- Face your child while speaking
- Talk to the child all the time in a natural manner and give him adequate time and opportunity to express himself.
- Don't avoid talking to the child assuming that he will not understand.
- Encourage him to attend to you when you speak
- Your imitation of your child's utterances is extremely useful in encouraging him to speak.
- Talk to your child in simple short sentences.
- Encourage your child to imitate your speech/lip movements as it facilitates his attempts to speak.
How to help your child learn to talk
- Spend more time with your child
- Talk, Talk, and Talk with the child.
- Talk clearly, talk slowly, talk naturally and meaningfullly.
- Talk to him about everything in your surroundings as daily life situations provide good opportunities for your child to learn to speak.
- Label objects/situations in the environment as it helps the child to learn words.
- Repeat what you say meaningfully.
- Provide a need to talk, encourage him to talk.
- Reward your child's attempt to talk.
- Discourage others from talking for the child.
- Describe what you are doing while you are doing it.
- Become a kind of COMMENTATOR by narrating his activities. for example: If he is playing with a car, you might say "Oh, you have a car", "The car is big". "Now you are pushing the car". "There goes the car".
- Encourage him to ask questions.
- Use simple words and sentences.
- Use pictures and objects to teach words and sentences.
- Tell stories to the child
- Make sure that the child watches, attends and listens to you.
- Read aloud to the child
- Sing to and with the child
- Dance along with the child.
- Help him to become aware of sounds and noises in his surroundings e.g. voices, noisy games, door bell, pressure cooker, telephone ring, sound produced by animals etc.
"That is a dog... It says, Bow-Bow". He will enjoy watching your facial expression and hearing your voice as you imitate the sound.
Ask the child "What does the dog say?"
"He may try to answer by saying ‘bu-bu’ or-------. Encourage this vocalization by imitating it and repeating the imitations." (A smile, touch or caress will encourage him to imitate once more)
Similarly you can show him a cow, a cat or a crow and tell him to imitate that particular animal’s cries and action…. e.g.
A cow says: amma….
A cat says: Meow… meow….
A crow says: Kaa…. Kaa..
Most children enjoy playing this miming game and it also helps to bring their attention to your face & an opportunity to listen to your voice.
- When the child is playing with toys, e.g. a car or a train or a set of block, tell your child. "Let’s drive the car. How does the car go? Burr…."
- Bring his attention to your voice by emphasizing on ‘Listening’.
- Mirrors can be used for encouraging vocalization and imitation.
- Encourage him to mix with other children.
- Provide the child with opportunities to talk
- Have him tell you stories.
- Take time to listen.
- Explain new words.
- Maintain a diary of what you are doing and what the child is achieving.
- Meet, talk to and share your experiences with other parents.
- Consult professionals periodically for guidance.
- Don’t compare him with his brothers and sisters and other children of his age.
- Don’t under estimate his abilities.
- Let your child do things by himself, let him explore the environment and learn.
- Don’t over protect or reject him. Don’t be inconsistent in your attitude.
- Don’t teach him too much at a time.
- Don’t exaggerate your lip and tongue movements while speaking.
- Don’t criticize your child if his speech is not perfect/clear.
- Don’t interrupt him while he is talking.Don’t be over demanding.
- Don’t over correct your child.
More than anything, remember that he is your child and like any other child needs your love and affection.