It’s never too early to start teaching deaf children their first word, or words. One approach when your baby is playing, is to identify what they’re looking at, and to tell them the name of the item. This teaches your child to link items to words, and is a key part of their early language
Most deaf children with residual hearing can learn to lip-read and speak when digital hearing devices and speech therapy are available from a very early age (zero to three). Free eBook For Families Teaching Spoken Language Try this ebook, “Teaching A Deaf Child To Hear And Talk: Perfectly!” (PDF format) This is called the oral approach. For hearing
Irish Sign Language (ISL) and Lamh (the Irish word for ‘hand’) are both manual languages with distinct similarities and differences. ISL is used by about 1,077 individuals in Ireland, mainly the signing deaf community, and is not a formally-recognised language. Lamh, a signing system for children and adults with intellectual disability and communication needs, is
Deaf children don’t absorb spoken vocabulary or language as their hearing peers do. Instead, their parents, guardians and/or carers are responsible for this early learning. Spoken language acquisition at an early age is crucial for deaf infants with digital hearing-devices, especially in Irish households where both parents can work outside the home. Talk During Your Daily
Hearing Dogs – not yet widely seen in Ireland – are companions to deaf people, and alert their owners to everyday sounds like doorbells, door-knocks, phones and cooker timers that otherwise might go unheard. Smudge the Hearing Dog features in this contribution to the website by his owner Tina Lannin, from Co Derry & Co Down, but who now lives in
When I’m asked this question, it’s tempting to reply, “what’s it like to be hearing?” – but that doesn’t achieve much! This simulator is brilliant for explaining how deaf people are challenged every day, and why background noise irritates hearing-device wearers. Simulators for autism, dyslexia and sight issues are also included on this site, which was
This article continues the “Digital Photos Help Special-Needs Children Learn” piece, which is one of the most-read on IDK. Home-made picture books are a brilliant way to teach children with special needs about their home life and the world around them. It doesn’t matter how these books are used, how they’re made, or how many
The IDK article “Toys & Games for Deaf Children” is one of the most-read on this site, so this complementary piece suggests toys for early development. Developmental Baby Toys for 0 – 24 Month Olds Remember, children who’re deaf have the same toys as hearing children, even if you may think otherwise! Handheld rattles will develop your child’s