Early Intervention, Education and Support

Pre-Teaching by Parents Preparing Children for Classroom Concepts and Vocabulary Parent Roles Will my child do well in school? What can we expect? These are concerns that families of young children with hearing loss may have. Parents are often uncertain how they might support their child’s class participation and academic progress. The roles of parents…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Preparing for Schools Your child is old enough for preschool! The first step is making a decision about how, when and where your little one will attend. Begin by considering your youngster’s communication skills. Think about what concepts and vocabulary your child knows and what skills you are hoping will be achieved next. Think about…

Meet My Child! Teachers and therapists welcome information about children to be able to work with them well. Parents can provide information from their own observations and others’ reports. A personal way to share a child’s strengths is by giving service providers an introductory summary. A “Meet My Child” intro can be created however a…

Improving Behavior by Increasing Communication Helping young children learn appropriate behavior is a concern for parents. Behavior management can be complex but families can begin at “A” by considering abilities, approaches, awareness, affirmation and actions. Abilities A child’s smiles, scowls, kisses and cries all convey feelings. To understand why a child is content or upset…

Communicating Clearly with Young Children with Hearing Loss Tips for Home A young child with a hearing loss may need additional communication support with unfamiliar people or in group situations. There is much information available for understanding early childhood hearing loss. A family can describe what is most helpful for their individual child. When caring…