Summer fun

Summer has  been rolling along for a good month now. Kids  have had time to decompress from school, shake off the   cold and  get into the sun. Some kids have camp, others have swim lessons, others have  horseback riding lessons and others are just at home. Regardless of what they are doing, kids with hearing loss may encounter more barriers than kids who  are hearing.  Each situation is different, as each child communicates differently , has a different hearing loss and  uses or does not use hearing assistive devices.  

Please remember that when children take off their  hearing assistive devices (cochlear implants, hearing aids, BAHA,etc), their hearing is diminished. They may not have the ability to hear all of what you are saying, understand all you say,  hear and understand well in noise , or even localize sound .  Here are some gentle reminders of how to accommodate and include your kids in conversation and language this summer. 

1. If you and your family use ASL as your primary or secondary language, that is very helpful, as kids can see your signs from far away, vs understand spoken language from far away.

2.  Use some sort of visual /gesture   predetermined signals , especially at a pool or  in a busy and noisy environment. I have had parents tell me their kids do not  come in from the park/pool etc when they are called, despite the parents having a visual cue. However, in reality, the kids are not clear on the cue and  may not know it means "5 min  warning," or "Time to come in."

3.  Do not say, "Never mind" or "It is not important" if your child asks what you or someone around them said. If it was important enough for someone to say, then it is important enough for your child to understand. Repeat it, rephrase it, act it out, sign it-whatever it takes .

4. Be sure to  explain rules and plans for the day while the child is near you and is able to understand you fully. It is setting up a situation for disaster if you explain rules on the pool deck or in the middle of a noisy zoo.

5. ASK your child what fun activities they like to do , where they feel most included and are most comfortable with their hearing loss. Summer is a time for some kids to  relax and not  have to focus so hard on their listening skills 24/7, so they may prefer  swimming or  an art activity, where there is not a lot of language and listening needed.

I hope you continue to have a wonderful summer. As always, reach out if you have questions or concerns.