perspectives in Education and Deafness

Tips for Parents of Deaf Children

One of the most frequent complaints educators hear from their deaf and hard of hearing students is how they are left out of what is happening around them in their families. Relationships are confusing, abstractions can only be guessed at, jokes are a mystery, anger and frustration are on-going and frightening.

Visual communication carries special weight in homes of deaf and hard of hearing children, and this frequently presents a challenge for hearing parents, who must shift communication style and pathways. Skilled mimes show everyone the eloquence of gestures. But sign language is not gesture, and no one needs the skills of a mime to communicate visually. Here are some hints:

• Use baby-signs with infants. Even hearing parents with hearing babies are learning simple signs to communicate with their babies. It is amazing how much these babies understand and imitate. For deaf and hard of hearing babies, this is especially important. It is the route to developing American Sign Language, which, like English, can be used to express almost everything.
• Reduce background noise. This allows the child to make use of his or her residual hearing and focus on developing spoken language skills.

	ABOVE: Talk, talk, talk with your child—using voice, facial expression, and signs.

• Talk, talk, talk to your child. Use gestures, facial expressions, sign language, and spoken words.
• Introduce your child to books. Picture books are an ideal early introduction. Comfortable with books from childhood, children are more likely to enjoy written language, the gateway to the rest of the visual world.
• Have high expectations. Unfortunately, too many people, including teachers and trained professionals, have been taught to expect no more than third or fourth grade reading level from deaf students. This undervalues the importance of the written word and the child’s ability.
• Have patience. Deaf and hard of hearing children are bound to require particular attention. Whatever communication is used in the home requires a different kind of energy. Parents must stop working, turn to face their child, and be totally attentive.
• Help the siblings. This means supporting hearing children who require less visually oriented attention.
• Teach relatives and significant others the basics of visual communication. Within the immediate household, children should understand who people are in relation to them. Babysitters should have communication skills equal to the child so the child doesn’t feel abandoned when parents leave.
• Test yourself. Make sure that your messages have been correctly received.
• Exaggerate. Repeat. Put in the extra effort.

It’s worth it.