Informed Choices

Informed choices about your child’s communication and education options gives you the best possible start in their life as you navigate their care pathways in the national social systems and make pivotal decisions.

To make fully-informed decisions, you need to:

• Gather information about your child’s hearing loss and deafness in general.
• Contact your local visiting teacher for advice after a diagnosis.
• Ask yourself, what do I really want for my child?
• Think about what communication options will suit your child (click on the blue chart, left).
• Look at online videos of children using these varied communication options.
• Decide if your child would benefit from hearing aids or a cochlear implant.
• Talk to the parents of other deaf children: what are their experiences?
• Find out exactly what support services are available in your area.
• Ask if the local pre-school / primary school has taught deaf pupils before.

 

Other areas of this site, Hearing, Communication and Schooling have information to help you in making your choices.

Take your time at this stage, and only proceed with decisions you’re happy with.

You know your child better than anyone else, after all!