Children with Hearing Disabilities

Taking Steps Towards Development

Student Created

Being Born DeafChildren that are born deaf normally have received a gene from a family member. Deafness can be passed down through generationsThe same gene that causes deafness can also cause other disabilities or health problemsInfants born deaf may have also suffered from complications during pregnancyIllnesses such as rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), toxoplasmosis and herpes can cause a child to be born deaf. There is also a range of medicines, known as ototoxic drugs, which can damage the hearing system of a baby before birth.

Becoming Deaf during Infancy

Being born prematurely can greatly increase the risk of an infant becoming deaf or have hearing problems. This is because premature babies are often much more prone to infections that can cause deafnessA study conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians reports that about 5% of children born before 32 weeks (8 months) have hearing loss by the time they are five years oldInfections like meningitis, measles and mumps can cause deafness. Ototoxic drugs, used to treat other types of infections in babies, can also be a cause

Detecting Deafness in Infants

Determining whether a child is deaf or not greatly effects the language develop-ment of that childScreenings for hearing loss of an infant are typically performed at the hospital. These screenings consist of a test that will test the infants response to sound and subtle noisesIf a child fails the test, then they are often brought back for another test several weeks later in order to see if their responses change

The Development of a Deaf Child

Children with or without hearing disabilities learn their language through copying their parentsA child that is deaf has all of the same possibilities to learn language than a child that has

perfect hearing

…Development continues

A deaf child, like any other child, will mimic what his or her parents doIf the parents to a child decide that they wish for their baby to learn the sign language, the developmental process can start as soon as the age of 10 months.

Teaching a Baby Sign Language

Sign language can be taught to infants and toddlers by both hearing and deaf parentsSign language can also be taught to babies without any sort of hearing disability… Sign language is proven to speed up the rate that a hearing child takes to speak

Simple Sign Language

By introducing sign language to a deaf baby will help the child’s development of language and understanding Simple signs such as “more”, “bottle”, “bathroom”, and “hungry” can be taught to a baby by showing him or her the object that is being referred to and then performing the sign directly afterhttp://www.howcast.com/videos/22633-How-To-Teach-Your-Baby-Sign-Language

Other Options for a Deaf Child

Sign language can easily be taught to deaf children in hopes of connection and communication with the childHowever, when a child is born deaf into a hearing family, the parents often turn to other optionsHearing parents of a deaf child often wish for their child to be able to hear and experience noise and the sound of their own voices…

The Option of Technology

Cochlear Implants are a leading option for children with hearing disabilitiesCochlear Implants can be set up on a child as soon as the parent’s desire; however, it is not cer-tain if the device will be effe-ctive before the age of one

The Effects of Cochlear Implants

Cochlear Implants do run the risk of infections at the site where the device is installed behind the child’s earThis risk of infection is very slight, however, but should always be consideredCochlear Implants effectively help babies

with hearing loss develop age-appropriate speech

and language skill/development

…Continued

Cochlear Implants are sometimes looked down upon by the deaf community, because it seems as if their “problem” is being fixedHowever, to parents that do not have any sort of hearing disability, Cochlear Implants are the only optionhttp://www.advancedbionics.com/CMS/Videos

Outcomes of a Deaf Child

Deaf children have the same opportunity for development as a child without any sort of hearing disabilityChildren with hearing disabilities can learn language, communication, and will be able to develop the same way any other child willVarying methods of ways to go around the obstacle of a deaf child will determine the rate at which the child is able to comm-unicate

Sources

http://www.thechildrenshospital.org/wellness/info/news/46277.aspxhttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_1_22/ai_n15860799/http://www.mybabycantalk.com/?gclid=CLaI4qDCsJ8CFRKfnAodOh2o1Qhttp://www.advancedbionics.com/CMS/Videoshttp://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1c/2e/ce.pdf