Deaf children are children who can’t hear.
Compared to their hearing-age peers, deaf children are much more diversified. Deaf children experience a range of difficulties in the language, social, and academic domains. This is due to a lack of language access, constrained incidental learning and social interactions, as well as the potential for secondary disabilities.
The continuum of services required for this group continues to include an essential role in sign languages, schools, and programs for deaf learners. Comprehending the special abilities and requirements of deaf children, now that’s where the secret lies.
Pre-Verbal Skills Caretakers and Professionals should be aware of 5 preverbal abilities to facilitate early communication.
Five Pre-Verbal Skills Caretakers And Professionals Should Know
- Maintaining social engagement between two persons requires maintaining eye contact.
- Understanding language and focusing on one task at a time both require joint attention.
- To notice or imitate speech or signs, imitation is necessary.
- Understanding the rules of conversational turn-taking requires turn-taking.
- To manage the utilisation of breath along with lip movements in producing speech, breath control is essential.
A variety of linguistic signals for Deaf children are made fairly obvious in educational settings by artificial means, and the majority of schools for Deaf children that focus on sign language use either Simultaneous communication (SC) or Total communication (TC).
The most prevalent method of educational communication between deaf children and hearing people who can sign is known as Simultaneous communication. It involves the simultaneous production of both sign and speech.
Many schools adopt Total Communication in the classroom. This strategy makes use of all potentially available forms of linguistic communication, such as signs, speech, and amplification through the use of hearing aids.
It shouldn’t be expected that these strategies lead to Deaf children who are fluent in both ASL and English, even if they are intended to provide Deaf children with as much information as possible.
SC, TC, and ASL are distinct from one another as it is to English. If they are not acquired naturally, fluency in each of those “Real” languages will require exposure to them and intensive teaching.
Methods for assisting a student with Hearing loss in the classroom.
- Classroom equipment: Several types of classroom equipment can greatly assist students with hearing loss. This can be achieved by ensuring they have equal access to education.
- Dedicated staff: A dedicated staff can provide personalised support and attention to the student. This can be done by creating a supportive and inclusive environment for students with hearing loss. Foster their academic and social growth, and also help them to fully participate in the educational experience.
- Teaching: Educators can create an inclusive learning environment that supports students with hearing loss. This allows them to fully engage in classroom activities and achieve academic success.
- Meet With Parents Regularly: Regular meetings with parents of students. This includes communication and collaboration with parents of students with hearing loss. Doing this can significantly enhance the educational experience and contribute to the student’s overall academic and social well-being.
- A ‘hearing buddy’: A hearing buddy can be of great help to students with hearing loss. They are educational, emotional, and social support to these children. They also ensure their active participation and overall success in the classroom.
Researched by: Olamide Opebiyi
