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
Family eBook: teaching deaf children to listen and talk.
Try this ebook, “Teaching A Deaf Child To Hear And Talk: Perfectly!” (PDF format)
This is called the oral approach. For hearing families, the advantages are:
- your child can learn the same language that your family uses
- your child will use one language for speaking and reading
Free correspondence courses are available online from the US with language lessons, vocabulary teaching, word games and progress benchmarks.
Resource Websites For Families
Parents and teachers can read about the oral approach on these websites and the goal outcomes their children will have with digital hearing-devices.
- DELTA – Deaf Education through Listening and Talking (UK)
- AVuk – Auditory Verbal UK
- The John Tracy Clinic (US, correspondence)
- The Alexander Graham Bell Association (US, correspondence)
Hearing And Talking With Digital Hearing Devices
Deaf and hard of hearing children need hearing devices (aids, or a cochlear implant) as early as possible after diagnosis for learning to listen and talk. Today’s digital hearing devices can process speech pitches unlike before.
Even a small amount of hearing is enough for your child to learn to talk and to communicate with people in their everyday lives.
Hearing aids are constantly improving and children with cochlear implants often need less speech work, due to having better sound quality.
For more details on the oral approach, visit one / more of the websites listed, and talk with your visiting teacher, audiologist or other professional.
A communication options chart is on this website if you’re still considering which option is best for your child’s and your family’s needs.
