Children with a cochlear implant who learn spoken language only, may progress faster than others with implants who also learn sign language, according to new research from Leiden University in The Netherlands.
Read: No more sign language for deaf children with implants?
Not as far-fetched as it seems. For deaf children (like their hearing peers), proficiency in a first language is the best basis for a second language.
Essential factors for a young child’s linguistic progress include:
- Early detection of hearing issues
- Hearing-device/s from the earliest age possible
- Rich exposure to spoken language (90% of families will be verbal)
- Shared time reading-aloud with parent/s, carers and educators
- Word games and incidental, vocal interaction on a daily basis
The author of this thesis has guidance on literacy for children with implants:
Read: The Road To Literacy For Deaf Children With Implants
Further Reading
- After A Cochlear Implant – The Real Work Begins
- Listening and Speaking: A Link To Reading/Writing?
- Language Parallels Seen In Deafness And Dyslexia
- Bilingual, Spoken Language At Home And School
- The Sky’s The Limit, When Parents Are Informed
- Cochlear Implants Alter What It Means To Be Deaf
- Deaf Children ‘Can Learn Their Family Language’
- New Study: Babies Learn Language By Lip-Reading
