Growing up with hearing loss

Children with hearing loss frequently experience special difficulties in their social and academic development, particularly children who lost their hearing early in life. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the academic gap between children with hearing loss and other children widens as school becomes more difficult and advanced.

It is imperative that parents employ the help of an intervention professional to set their child up for success. A specialist can work on a child’s academic and social development, the latter being key because many children with hearing loss feel isolated from their peers, especially if the child does not know many other children with hearing loss.

The good news is that research shows children with hearing loss who get help very early in life can develop language skills at the same level as their peers. The important thing is to start seeing a specialist as soon as possible and involve the entire family in the program. Talk to your True Dental Discounts hearing plan audiologist to find out more information on child hearing loss – timing is critical.

Nurture your baby’s language and hearing skills

It is well-documented that young children learn to speak by listening. And as a parent, you play an integral role in helping your child develop proper speech and language skills – through interactive conversations, repetition, and example. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends several helpful strategies to stimulate your baby’s brain:

• Talk constantly: Tell your baby where you’re going, what you’re doing, what you’re touching, what you’re seeing.
• Elaborate on words your baby uses. If she says “mama,” use it in several different sentences to help her understand context.
• Ask questions: “What’s this?”, “What do you see?”, “Is that a puppy or a kitty?”
• Be expressive. Change the inflection of your voice to indicate a question or excitement. This helps the baby learn tonal distinctions in our language.
• Use gestures. Waving, clapping, and signaling all help you convey your message.
• Reinforce your baby’s attempts at communicating. Repeat the sounds they make and teach them some of your own using consonant-based syllables like “ba” and “da.”

The first two years of your child’s life is a critical time in his language development. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s hearing or speech, talk to an audiologist on your True Dental Discounts, hearing plan. He or she can evaluate your child and test for any possible hearing loss. The earlier hearing loss is discovered, the quicker a child can begin learning.