|
Your child with a hearing loss can succeed - in school, in work,
and in life! It is important to keep this as your focus, whatever
your child's age or degree of hearing loss. While you will have
the support of many professionals, ultimately you as parents
will make many decisions about what is in the best interest of
your child. As with all children, there is no magic formula for
raising a child with a hearing loss. It helps to maintain a positive
attitude, educate yourself about hearing loss, seek out the best
resources, and take an active role in your child's education.
Most of all, keep in mind that your child is a child first, and
a child with a hearing loss second.
This online booklet is written for parents of children of all
ages and all degrees of hearing loss. With so much to cover,
the information presented here is only a brief overview, supplemented
with a variety of reference and resource materials so you can
follow up on subjects more thoroughly. In addition, you are encouraged
to join the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing for access to a huge variety of resources, including
educational programs for you and your child, a large inventory
of books and other publications, video tapes, conferences, and
a national support network.
Will your child have a "normal" life? While some mild-moderate
losses can be surgically or medically corrected, most hearing
loss is a permanent condition. Thus, your child's life will have
its challenges. However, these challenges sometimes turn into
advantages. For example, the ability to work hard and concentrate
more, coupled withthe routines of audiologic and language therapy,
frequently produces children who are self-disciplined and focused.
Moreover, the outcomes for children with hearing loss have greatly
improved in the last two decades due to major advances in technology
and emphasis on programs of early detection and early intervention.
Emotional Impact of the Diagnosis: Parents can benefit from
counseling and support after the diagnosis of hearing loss. Grief,
anger, fear and denial are natural responses for hearing parents
to feel when they find out their child has a hearing loss. Their
expected "normal" child has a problem and this problem
is going to present many challenges. We convey love through our
words and tone of voice as well as through hugs and kisses. We
soothe a child through the sound of our voice, or by singing
a lullaby. We teach children that the objects in their room,
their toys, their food, and the people around them all have names.
We show children how to pronounce words by our example. We discipline
and warn children of danger through words as well as actions.
How are we going to do this now?
Deaf parents of deaf children are not necessarily prone to grief
because they are already familiar with living in a world without
sound. Deaf parents may feel more comfortable with a child who
is deaf, because this seems natural. But this isn't the case
for most hearing parents, who probably know little or nothing
about hearing loss and who may never have known a child with
a hearing loss. Many deaf parents will teach their child sign
language as naturally as hearing parents unconsciously teach
their child to speak. But hearing parents must commit themselves
to the goal of helping their child listen and speak in order
to participate fully in a hearing world, or the equally arduous
task of becoming fluent in sign language and learning about Deaf
culture.
Grief is a common emotion and an honest expression of disappointment
and fear of the unknown. Grief that is not acknowledged or dealt
with can lead to denial of a child's problem, which in turn can
lead to procrastination in taking constructive action. Unacknowledged
grief can lead to unfocused and displaced anger on the part of
parents which can last a lifetime. Acknowledging grief, painful
as it may be, will clear away anger and denial, allowing parents
to most effectively nurture their child.
© 2004 AAO-HNS/AAO-HNSF
|
