For Early Intervention Christine Pett, M.S. Teacher of the Deaf Sr. Consumer Outreach Manager, Midwest Region
Selected chapters of a published Dutch project -- Guiding Young Deaf Children with Cochlear Implants (Information and Tips for Parents and Caregivers) Marleen Bammens Leo DeRaever Marianne Haesevoets Josepha Jans Ria Pans Hilde Vandistel Yvette Vrolix
What is Little Listeners? A tool for parents, caregivers and teachers of children under the age of three who are using a cochlear implant for listening and spoken language. Think of it as the handbook of extra things to keep in mind while you are talking to your child as if he is a child with normal hearing. Little Listeners describes these extras and how to make them a natural part of everyday communication between you and the child.
Little Listeners: 5 Chapters 1. State of the Art for Cochlear Implantation 2. Preverbal Communication 3. Hearing Development 4. Speech & Language Acquisition 5. Off to Preschool
A CI does not restore or create normal hearing. Instead, under the appropriate conditions, it can give a person who is deaf the ability to hear sounds in the environment, understand speech, talk on the telephone and even enjoy music. Children are a group that greatly benefits from cochlear implantation, especially if they receive a CI early in life.
State of the Art CIs The Importance of Early Implantation The introduction of universal newborn hearing screening has given us access to early intervention within a couple of months of diagnosis Are Two Implants Better Than One? Having both ears is important for hearing to understand soft sounds easier, understand better in noisy environments, located the direction of a sound source and understand speech from a distance.
Preverbal Communication Eye Contact / Shared Attention Imitation Turn Taking Modeling Language Transitioning from the Preverbal Stage
Preverbal Communication What is preverbal communication? When does it take place? Why is it relevant for a child with a cochlear implant?
Chapter 2: Imitation Repeat and expand the sounds your child makes Imitate his sounds in front of a mirror Imitate facial expressions, especially funny faces Imitate mouth movements Introduce new sounds and use objects associated with that sound. Ex: The cow says mooooo Be sure to vocalize
Chapter 2:Modeling Language Do adults talk different to babies and young children? Why do they speak to them differently? Why do they repeat everything over and over and over?
Chapter 2: Great Ways to Model Language Simple nursery rhymes/fingerplays Ask questions ( Do you want up? ) Use onomatopoeic sounds words that imitate the sound of the object, such as choo choo, woof woof Take a walk talk about everything you see Look at books or photos together Simple games
Modeling Language
Expansion Example
Although we often talk about hearing development, speech development, and language development as separate topics, they are all closely interrelated. Each depends upon the other. All children develop listening skills in a recognized sequence. For the purpose of this booklet, we want to keep in mind that we are working on the development of listening skills in order to facilitate the development of speech and language skills. Therefore, when reading the following tips for developing better listening skills, keep in mind that auditory development in isolation is not really the goal the goal is the development of language.
Normal Hearing Development 1. Detection perceive sounds 2. Discrimination- identify sounds 3. Identification identify differences between sounds 4. Comprehension attach meaning to sounds
Stimulating Hearing Development Awareness to Sound Paying Attention to Sound Imitating Sound/Speech Modeling Sound/Speech Deliberately Working in Noise
To stimulate speech and language development, talk about everything you do. Talk some more, and yet even more.
Tips for Stimulating Speech/Language What can we do to stimulate language in our children?
Social-Pragmatic Skills What is pragmatics? - prag mat ic - praɡˈmadik/ - adjective: pragmatic - dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations / the use of language appropriately in social situations (social language)
Chapter 5: Off to Preschool!
In this section we want to offer parents some ideas to help them to make choices about the school setting. Prior to school age, some parents may have already found a specialized kindergarten, preschool, infant play group, or a regular day care center. However, the choice as to which academic, social, or support setting will be best for an individual child is often a difficult one.
Choosing a Preschool WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? Regular education programs Special education programs Specialized school for deaf / HOH
Considerations What things do you need to consider when choosing a preschool setting? - Background noise / acoustic accommodations - Equipment maintenance - FM system available? - Class size - Attitude towards deaf / HOH children - Social needs met - Support services available (SLP, TOD, OT, etc)
Available BRIDGE Resources www.medel.com