Our children deserve all the best, especially when it comes to their health. It can be challenging for any parent to see their child cope with health problems, especially hearing impairment. It is our duty to make sure they are not deprived of learning and communicating, as our technology is reaching new heights in the medical field. As adults, we need to know how to take care of children with hearing impairment. Here are some tips to guide us with this endeavor.
Start Immediately
It is important that you implement an early treatment for children with hearing impairment or hearing loss. Most babies’ brains develop very quickly, and it is imperative that we learn how to stimulate the sound growth immediately. Experts say that exposing children to sounds at an early stage may develop the same path with how old they are.
The common treatment for children with hearing problems is getting hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other devices that helps the brain process signals of sounds by placing them inside the inner ear. Should your child need to use one, they must learn how to live with these devices. Teach how cleaning your hearing devices improves durability and prolongs its life.
If there is late detection, don’t feel discouraged about treating your child’s hearing problems. It is always best to consult your pediatric audiologist for proper treatment. There are cases wherein a child with cochlear implants at the age of one or two years can catch up with other kids by the age of five or six.
Early Intervention
Studies show that nearly 95% of parents with children having hearing loss do not have the same condition themselves. This means that parents will have to learn everything from scratch about how to treat and live with their child’s condition. Parents should use an early intervention program that would assist and guide them to all the child’s needs. It would also be best to start your child with this program at an early stage.
Early intervention programs are available in hospitals and even in local public schools where parents will be able to access easily. Professionals such as audiologists and speech-language pathologists will offer you an ?individualized family service plan? (IFSP) to help you with the situation. This program will support the whole family to help a child develop speech and language.
Seek Support
It is always okay to seek support for your child’s hearing problem treatment. Every family member needs to contribute to help in any way they can, or an extra emotional support. You may also find other families that have the same condition through counseling or other support groups. You will be able to gather information by asking away and also contribute some knowledge you know about hearing problems.
Discover More Sounds
Your child’s brain development starts at an early stage, making hearing speeches and sounds very important for parents to do. Here are some key activities that you can do as a parent.
- Play Games with them to teach them how to imitate your movement and sound. You may also sing to them songs such as pat-a-cake, the itsy bitsy spider, and peekaboo. Your child should also learn about taking turns to talk to others as well
- It’s important to read to your child, showing and telling stories about some photos and letting them identify the pictures
- Singing some songs together will bring joy to you and your child
Your Child Needs You
Your goal is to support your child with a program or a plan to assist them. You must also know that you can seek the help of specialists if you need it. They are always open to be part of a family’s journey in taking care of a child with hearing problems.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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