Most parents of children with significant hearing loss are warned to expect lower than average school performance in a public school setting. Early childhood educators often predict that such children will lag behind their hearing peers.
That concern is what made me teach my hearing impaired child to read before starting school. I believe that early learning is what made the difference for him.
Today, he is a voracious reader with an immense vocabulary. He speed reads at a rate that would put most adults I know (including me) to shame. What makes his achievement so incredible is that he's now reading at least six grade levels above the expected and excelling at school with the same severe degree of hearing loss he had when we started the journey.
He loves Greek mythology, historical fiction and just about every work that has ever been put into print. When reading material runs low, he writes; penning his own stories as effortlessly as he would maneuver a video games' controls.
There is no doubt that he's gifted, but that's not the point of this article. The real point is: if I'd listened to all the experts' predictions, he'd probably be just scraping by in school. His abilities might never have developed had I not started helping my child learn to read.
Let me put this in context: most, if not all, of what the audiologists and ENT's will say is medically accurate; there's no point being in denial about a disability. If they say your hearing impaired child will always need to wear hearing aids because of nerve deafness then that's the way it's going to be. What you need to watch out for are the predictions regarding your child's future performance in the real world.
Experts involved in teaching the child with special needs, are used to dealing with a wide range of ability levels. This experience, while often invaluable, can also prejudice their assessment of your child and lead to lower than appropriate expectations. If educators expect less than he is capable of, that's exactly what he's going to give.
That was the reason my son, who, by the age of two could name every animal in the zoo, would sit placidly while early learning professionals pointed out familiar animals, told him their names and asked him to repeat them. Naturally, if they had pointed out the animals and asked him to name them, he would have! Had I not repeatedly intervened in the process, I believe he would have been conditioned for under achievement in school.
This principle can be applied to all children: the hearing impaired, as well as the hearing. Parents have to be actively involved in early learning activities so that the full, potential of their children can be realized. No matter how well-trained the professional, a good parent knows his or her child best.
That's not to say expert opinion should be ignored, but that expectations should be tailored to the child's actual ability rather than to what a professional has been trained to expect. A good professional will seek your input in assessing what your child is capable of in a natural setting, rather than relying on what some office assessment or study predicts, based on his level of disability.
Even when your child is accurately assessed, you may be faced with the opposite conundrum: difficulty in accessing special education and appropriate resources simply because your child is not falling behind his peers! Once my son's abilities had been established, that was the hurdle we faced.
The expert advice here again is to demand the child's right to a free and appropriate education, attend countless IEP meetings, be familiar with the laws and enlist the help of parent advocates. That was all well and good for me, but the pace of that process is painfully slow and since children grow and develop at a rapid pace, relying too heavily on the school system might have placed my hearing impaired child at a distinct disadvantage.
Having been warned to expect these challenges, I started helping my child learn to read well before elementary school. The way I figured it, since children with hearing loss have to work so much harder to listen, learning to read should be comparatively easy. My strategy worked for him and the rest is history.
While countless school officials pushed paper, administered tests and pondered the relative merits of various assistive listening devices, my son devoured every book I could lay my hands on. The result? I'm still having to fight to keep every intervention I've won for him so far, but the battles are sweet because the war's already been won.
Most of what I'm going to share here is relevant to all children, but especially so for the child with special needs.
The key to raising a successful reader is making reading an enjoyable habit from earliest childhood. Even if a child has deficits that make learning to read a challenge, he will enjoy being read to regardless. For all children, early learning is critical to developing their full potential.
I read to my son from the time he was about three or four months old. We'd cuddle up together at the end of a long day and read picture books, poetry, animal stories - anything. As he got more active it got harder to keep him still for story time, so I'd lay him down in his play yard and lie on the floor as close to his face as possible, with the book placed so he could see it. That kept him focused on what I was reading.
What works for a particular parent/child, may not work for everyone. It's important to experiment and find what works for you and your child. As long as reading time is something fun and stimulating, it really doesn't matter how you choose to accomplish that. That said, setting aside a particular time of day, preferably not when your child is sleepy, would seem to be a wise way to go.
One on one interactions are vital to early learning and especially so when teaching the child with special needs. This is the reason parents are often the best teachers for young children. Regardless of how busy life may be, set some time aside at least weekly, for helping your child learn to read. If your schedule doesn't allow this, use the time spent driving. For a hearing impaired child, that may mean one parent or an older sibling sitting in the back with him. Read a book, sing a song, teach a rhyme, anything - just use that time to connect and engage his brain.
Although early learning will give your child the best chance to achieve his full potential, it's never too late to make meaningful inputs into your child's education and development. For families facing challenges such as disabilities, poverty, cultural barriers and the like, helping a child learn to read may make the difference between success and failure in school and in life.
My experiences using the computer as an early learning tool have been very positive. As an active toddler, my son wouldn't sit still very long to be read to, but learning software engaged his attention for comparatively longer spans.
He first fell in love with Dr Seuss ABC software, a product some have found really valuable for teaching the child with special needs. He quickly learned how to use it and from that point there was no turning back. By the time we got around to actually learning to read, he already knew some phonics and could recognize some sight words. This eventually made learning to read easy for him.
For hassled parents trying to fit 30 hours worth of responsibilities into 24, the computer is a good tool for helping a child learn to read. Once children are able to manipulate the mouse (sometimes it helps to install a kid-sized one), all they really need is a little supervision. For the hearing impaired child, headphones can be invaluable as long as the volume's not set too loud (be sure to ask an audiologist if they're suitable for your child).
It's important to look out for frustration with tasks that may be beyond a child's level of ability. Guard against the temptation to push, especially when a particular activity or program just doesn't seem to hold their interest. Watch that clock - time flies when they're having fun and keeping out of mischief; make sure they aren't on too long. It's also a good idea (for kids of all ages) that the computer is placed somewhere central in the home, where an adult can keep an eye on the screen.
Reading software and other good educational products, don't have to cost an arm and a leg. The one's I've gotten have almost always been at bargain prices online or at large electronic stores. Besides, this type of investment reaps a return that cannot be measured in dollars.
While there are tons of free activities available for free online, I personally prefer the quality of educational activities provided in personal learning software for children. Many of them also allow tracking of the child's activity. Whatever you choose to use, it should be fun and interesting and used on a regular basis.
One of my great fears as a parent was pushing my child into formal learning too early. He wasn't one of those kids who can sing the alphabet song or count to ten at age two.
Our early learning activities were centered on fun stuff. We loved fingerpainting, learning colors and shapes and singing the wacky songs that little kids love. Had he not been a hearing impaired child, we might never have gone further than that before preschool.
Just after he turned three, he gradually began to show he was ready to start reading. He learned some sight words, the first of which was "stop" and pretty soon could recognize it anywhere - not just on the stop sign he'd picked it up from. He'd sit with his books pretending to read while making up stories in unique toddler gibberish. One day online, I happened on a free reading assessment and it confirmed my opinion that he was ready to start reading.
So I bought a phonics program and together we set out to explore the world of reading. If I'd had any doubt about my ability to teach without any formal training, they soon vanished. Getting through the lessons was pretty easy especially since he already knew some phonics.
I didn't proceed on any particular timetable, but let his level of interest guide me. It actually seemed sometimes that he loved the program mainly because it pulled me away from a perpetually busy schedule to be totally available to him for fifteen or twenty minutes.
With the technique we used, he was reading the first booklet after just a few sessions, and boy was he proud! Somewhere near the middle, his interest began to fade, kind of like when older kids get used to a hobby, and I do admit to a little prodding.
As his reading proficiency grew, he slacked off again because by that time more challenging books became appealing avenues to practice new found skills. We never did complete the program but I'm not complaining - it was the best investment I've ever made in preparing him for a life of learning.
Parents will find that helping a child learn to read is worth every penny and every second of time and effort. In the end not only will this help in raising a successful reader, but also a confident child.
Disclaimer: The information contained here is not intended to replace the advice of qualified professionals. This website does not offer medical advice.
The demands of work and family often leave us with busy schedules that do not allow for much baby-mama quality time (sorry dads, I just like the expression).
Often young children have to be left in the care of baby-sitters or daycare providers. Even at home television is sometimes used to entertain baby while the parent or caregiver takes care of other responsibilities.
Much has been said about the dangers of excessive television viewing. The point is, TV is a part of life and like everything else can be used well or misused. Try, as far as possible, to delay the age at which your child begins to watch TV. If you have to be busy around the house, place him close by in a safe seat or play yard and carry on a conversation with him as you work; use toys or books instead to keep him entertained. If you must leave him in the care of others, encourage them to do the same.
Some TV viewing can be beneficial if limited to educational shows and especially if you watch along with him. TV and educational videos helped expand the vocabulary of my hearing impaired child well before early intervention began to impact his life. I'd sit him on my lap and talk as we watched, pointing out animals, colors and shapes; asking questions, explaining plots, relating images on the screen with real life.
Think of TV as a tool: well used in short spans it can enrich your child's life and stimulate learning. As in previous articles, I'll again stress that not everything works for every child. Find out what's best for yours.
