Posts by mgerardo
Check Listening with Ling Sounds
See Full Handout Check Listening with Ling Sounds (From Ling 6 to LMH 10) Is there an easy way to confirm how children listen with their hearing aids and cochlear implants? Yes! A simple listening check involves family or staff saying specific speech sounds that occur at different frequencies (Fig.1). It is a family-friendly and…
Read MoreEarly Expectations for a Child with a Cochlear Implant
Early Expectations for a Child with a Cochlear Implant Families often have many emotions about their child’s cochlear implant (CI). One common feeling is of uncertainty. Parents are unsure of what changes they will see and when their child might talk. Surgery and being fitted with external equipment begins the process. The first use of…
Read MorePragmatic Skills Checklist
Pragmatic Skills Checklist What Are Pragmatic Skills? Pragmatic skills facilitate our social interactions. We use pragmatics to get various social communication accomplished—we attend, request, tell, clarify. We also adjust our messages based on our knowledge of the situation and the participants involved. Children begin to learn social rules of communication very early, for example, seeking…
Read MoreInquiring about Implants
Inquiring about Implants When a child is identified with a hearing loss, family members might wonder about a cochlear implant (CI). Specific information on implants, centers and candidacy can be found through websites and from audiologists. This paper addresses some questions families often ask in the beginning about the implant process. Can my child receive…
Read MoreChildren’s Hearing Milestones
Children’s Hearing Milestones A child’s hearing can be tested at any age and as early as a few hours after being born. In the U.S. it is estimated that 12,000 children are born each year with a hearing loss. Children also need to be screened regularly for hearing loss because it can occur any time…
Read MoreThe Leader of Your Child’s Educational Team: YOU
The Leader of Your Child’s Educational Team: YOU The day your child was diagnosed with a hearing loss, you became an integral part of a team created to bring your little one to his or her greatest potential. That team consists of the: Pediatrician Ear Nose and Throat specialist Audiologist Educators Each of these professionals…
Read MoreSuccessful Strategies for Starting School Services
Successful Strategies for Starting School Services Parents of young child with hearing loss have a significant role in the start of school services. Many families wish to be active in their child’s early education but are unsure how to start. Programs and the rights of children and their families vary from country to country and…
Read MoreSelf-Advocacy is a Communication Skill
Self-Advocacy is a Communication Skill “Can I get one?” asks a classmate when a preschooler explained a hearing aid’s cool features. Another playmate tries to pull a child’s cochlear implant cord. A stranger inquires “Why do they have that on their head?” In all these scenarios parents might give simple answers to help build awareness…
Read MoreSchool Time!
School Time! When your child enters preschool, you have the perfect opportunity to develop on-going teamwork with teachers and school personnel. This is the time to bring your positive attitude and support, which will continue throughout your child’s education. What can you do? Ask for time to explain the hearing aids or cochlear implant to…
Read MoreSchool Readiness: Check a Child’s Hearing
School Readiness: Check a Child’s Hearing A child may develop hearing loss at any time for many reasons. Sometimes a child’s hearing loss is not noticed or may be misinterpreted. If a child shows several of the behaviors listed below, he may be at risk for hearing loss. A hearing screening can identify if he…
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