The rate of children that are born deaf is alarming higher than one may assume. Out of every one thousand children that are born, one will be a deaf child. Along with that, out of every one thousand babies that are born, six of those will have hearing disabilities. It is vitally important to have children tested for hearing at a young age. There are studies that show that approximately twenty five percent of hearing loss for children will happen during the stages of infancy and young childhood. It is highly recommended that every baby is testing very soon after being born and that those hearing tests continue on a regular basis throughout the child’s life. There are some states in the United States that have laws to make this so; only eight states are not bound to these laws.
Learning and development starts very early in children. A deaf child must be diagnosed as early as possible, before he or she hits the age of taking in stimuli and learning by accessing their environment. In the 1990’s, a deaf child was not identified until the toddler stage. Now, doctors can identify a deaf child when that child is still an infant.
Having a deaf child diagnosed and implementing intervention can made a huge difference in the life of a deaf child. It will allow that child to have the chance to avoid delays in development and strategies can be implemented in regard to schooling; this is vital. A dead child who is diagnosed and is given a good intervention plan can reach the stage of communication at approximately the same age as non-hearing impaired children.
Intervention is a method that encompasses resources, services and programs that are created to help a deaf child with language skills, emotional needs and intellectual elements. This most often is successful when offered to a deaf child between the age of birth and three years old.
Programs will also help the family of a deaf child. Families will be offered support, teaching and methods to understand the world of those who are deaf. The family environment is extremely important to any child; a deaf child or any child with a disability will be even more vulnerable to the stimuli and atmosphere that his or her family offers.
The success of a deaf child in school will depend quite a bit on their parents. Parents must work hand in hand with teachers and school officials. Visual aids can help greatly and parents must advocate that these be used in teaching. A deaf child should be assigned a “help partner”, another child who he or she can go to for any information that they miss in the class room. A deaf child will need extra help at home; if possible the teacher should give the parent assignments ahead of time so that the parent and deaf child can study the data at home in a comfortable environment. Reaching out to professionals is vital; there are many organizations, groups and systems that are there to help.
It is vital to remember that a child will not know how to react to the fact that they are deaf. They will see how the parents react and then they will follow suit. If they parents act as if it is the end of the world, the child will feel the same way. If the parents behave as is it is a mild road block, one that can be walked around with just a bit of help and that the child is wonderful, smart and has a great life ahead of them: the child will feel the same way.