Parents of deaf children, who are debating on a cochlear implant for their child, may gain insights from two articles written by deaf adults in the UK. The first, published by writer Charlie Swinbourne in The Guardian, is titled “Not all deaf people want to be fixed” and offers a very balanced view on why
The HSE’s National Audiology Review (NAR, April 2011) listed a priority as to “Implement a National Newborn Hearing Screening Programme” in Ireland. In addition to the HSE’s estimated, annual €11 million funding for audiology services, €3.7 million was made available to apply NAR recommendations. From this total, just under €2 million was to fund implementation
Everyone lipreads to an extent regardless of their hearing, to get a sense of what people are saying to us. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can rely almost fully on lip-reading, as they may not have the sound input to know what others are saying to them, or to follow a conversation. Charlie Swinbourne, a deaf writer
A recent question came in from the childcare sector. How are creche staff taught to manage a child’s hearing-devices (and a sound-field, if relevant)? This is a valid point. Devices like hearing-aids, cochlear implants and sound-fields can really benefit a child ‘picking up’ information in their environment, and to interact with creche staff and other
A strong case for newborn hearing tests is made with a recent study in the Netherlands, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Detection At Birth Gave Better Quality Of Life Children whose hearing issues were found at birth, had a better quality of life aged 3 and 5, than babies tested at
Hearing-aids can be challenging for the families of children whose deafness is newly-confirmed. Parents in Ireland have stories of no-one showing them how to put hearing aids in, when the aids are first received. At this time, the last thing a family needs is a device that beeps or buzzes because it’s put on or
Earlier this year, Hidden Hearing (the hearing-aid provider) contacted IDK about the difficulty parents can have in sourcing hearing aids and earmoulds for their children. Ear-moulds give parents particular grief, as children grow in millimetres and a new set may not fit if it is delayed for a few months. Hidden Hearing will fit IDK’s
Two recent articles in the Irish press highlighted two essential issues facing families with deaf children in Ireland. These are the need for: hearing-aids from as young as possible (under 1 year old), and early spoken-language intervention for children with severe to profound deafness How Does Hearing Lead To Education? Newcomers to deafness may ask,
The development of deaf children fitted with a cochlear implant is being profiled in a study at Malaga University, headed by Ignacio Moreno-Torres. Three months after receiving an implant, all children profiled could recognise sounds in their immediate environment. Social and family factors were also analysed in the study for a more in-depth result. Children
Twelve UK publishers are using web technologies to present contemporary childrens’ books in sign language with audio, animation and text in a GBP1.5 million project to improve literacy levels among deaf children. The project, www.signedstories.com, offers a free online library of signed books for deaf children to develop their literacy & language skills, whether signed
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