Hearing Impaired

LauraMacNCheese
LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
edited October 2024 in Chit-Chat
My 6 year-old son is hearing impaired...we found out for sure at the beginning of last year. He's had hearing aids since April '10 and has made great strides forward since getting them. He's been in mainstream classes since he started school last year...he gets pulled out for speech therapy, resource classes and therapy with a teacher for the deaf & hearing impaired. He started 1st grade this year & really seems to be struggling with reading and spelling. He's a smart kid & really loves to learn new things...I hate to see him struggle with this. I was just wondering if anyone in the MFP community has been through anything similar & can offer up some advice on how to help him.

Replies

  • disneymom94
    disneymom94 Posts: 32 Member
    I teach special education and have worked with hearing impaired students over the past 15 years. One thing we always suggest is watching TV and movies with the closed captions on. This gives the child more exposure to the words as they hear them and see them. He is going to struggle because he missed some of the sounds early on-but he will get there. Try books on CD with following along in the book as it is read-again seeing and hearing it helps improve reading and spelling. Best of luck to you and your son-there may be tough days but you will be there for him :-)
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    We do the closed caption thing & I got him a Tag reader (but he hates it, LOL!). He came home with a spelling test that he totally bombed & I felt crushed for him because he did so well at home.

    I will try the books on CD though...I hadn't thought of that...thank you!!! :flowerforyou:
  • Saffyra
    Saffyra Posts: 607 Member
    While I haven't worked with deaf/HH children on their reading and spelling, I have worked with first graders who were "behind". I believe that plenty of being read to at home really helps but sometimes you just have to wait for the lightbulb to turn on. I can't tell you how many kids I worked with who suddenly just "got" it. Sometimes it seemed overnight!

    I would suggest reading to him while following along with your finger, then you reading with HIS finger following, and then finally him reading with his finger following. You can ask his teacher or any librarian about appropriate books for his age and level. Though you should also read fun books, too, about things he is interested in.

    I cannot stress enough how well reading to your child helps. And just give it time. Sometimes it just takes a little longer :) I promise he will get there!

    Also see if you cant get the spelling test words early to be able to give him help at home. I can't imagine his teacher would object to that.
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    He does get his spelling words to practice for the week...I'm just wondering if maybe his teacher isn't enunciating well enough for him to pick out the different letter sounds...or maybe I overdo it when we practice at home & that's what he expects when his teacher gives the test.

    We read Are You My Mother every night because it seems to have nearly all of his site words in it; but we also read other stuff...Dr. Suess, Curious George & a bunch of other things. I'm always afraid that I'm not reading the "right" books to him to help him along.
  • RuthAne
    RuthAne Posts: 130
    I am late-deafened and I wonder - is your son's seat positioned so that he can see her mouth movements and read her lips?
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
    :flowerforyou:
    We do the closed caption thing & I got him a Tag reader (but he hates it, LOL!). He came home with a spelling test that he totally bombed & I felt crushed for him because he did so well at home.

    I will try the books on CD though...I hadn't thought of that...thank you!!!

    I am an Early Childhood Special Education teacher who has worked with a couple of children with hearing impairments. Please use the public library as a resouce for books with CDs. the hearing impaired teacher should also be able to connect you with the books on tape resources for the deaf and hearing impaired. Make sure that the teacher is looking at him when she says the word so that he can see her mouth. They should be using an FM microphone/speaker system in the room. Some of these systems connect with the hearing aid frequency. There are regular ed. teachers who are resistant to using these or any technology or adaptations that assist children with special needs. You must be an advocate for your child. Do NOT take no for an answer. If the district says that it is not in the budget that is illegal. They must supply what your child needs. Your child will likely catch up but people who are hearing impaired tend to miss out on spoken nuances and sounds thus affecting their ability to sound words and sounds out , which in turn affects reading and spelling. Keep offering your support tempered with the expectation that he continue to try his best in all things. Meanwhile, enjoy him. They grow up way too fast.:flowerforyou:
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    The way their desks are arranged, I don't think any of the kids have a clear view of the teachers face when she speaks unless they turn around or sit sideways.

    They do have the speaker system in his class & actually he has 2 devices that attach to his hearing aids. When the teacher speaks into the mic, the sound goes directly into his hearing aids. The school district really stepped up in providing us with these tools. I just sort of feel like I'm not doing enough at home, I guess.
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