Children

What parents should know about hearing loss

Beyond the test booth

BEYOND THE TEST BOOTH

Resources that Can Help:

Early Intervention (Birth to age three):
Early Intervention is a program for infants and toddlers from birth to age three which pays for services to children with varying special needs. Early Intervention is federally funded, with each State operating it somewhat differently. First created by Congress in 1986 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the EIP is administered by the New York State Department of Health through the Bureau of Early Intervention.

To be eligible for services, children must be under 3 years of age and have a confirmed disability or established developmental delay, or have a condition, such as hearing loss, which if left untreated, can cause a developmental delay as defined by the State, in one or more of the following areas of development: physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional, and/or adaptive. Services related to the infant or toddler's development are offered to families at no cost unless state law requires a system of payments by families, which include a schedule of sliding fees.

Some key points to keep in mind when working with Early Intervention:

The Service Provider:

Though the Early Intervention Coordinators are responsible for finding service providers for your child, parents need to be good advocates for their child and continually assess the skills of the service provider recommended to them. Some questions to ask are:
- Does the professional have experience with young children with hearing loss?
- Does the professional have experience teaching children with hearing loss to speak using the approach the parent has chosen?
- Is the program home-based (at your house) or center-based (at a facility)?

The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

The Early Intervention Coordinator will develop a plan for your child after the evaluation is complete.
Plans are reviewed every six months by an Early Intervention Official Designee (EIOD)
- Parents, service coordinators and therapists should be present at the review
The Plan (IFSP) can be opened at any time by a parent or therapist to add or amend recommendations or services. It is not necessary to wait the six-month period.

Getting Ready for School – What Happens after age three?

With early identification of hearing loss, early use of hearing aids or cochlear implants, a strong communication therapy program, and ongoing support services, at the League, we believe that many children with hearing loss can be mainstreamed successfully in school.

After the age of three, services will typically be paid for through the Board of Education, either through The Committee on Preschool Education (for children ages three to five) or through the Committee on Special Education (for children ages five through 21).

Services vary from state to state and it is important that you check your own state’s guidelines to determine what services you and your child are eligible for. Regardless of the state, however, the Department of Education is required to provide parents with a statement of their rights regarding meeting the needs of your child.

An Individualized Education Plan or IEP will be developed to meet your child’s needs in school. Remember, there is no “can’t” when planning your child’s education plan. Throughout your child’s education, you, as the parent, will be your child’s strongest and best advocate. To learn more about your rights and for more information, see:
http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html

Choosing a school – What to look for:

There are many options today for school placement. Choosing a school can often seem like a daunting process and may require many visits to several schools. The extra effort you as the parent take in choosing a school, however, will have a positive impact on your child’s future education. Consider the following important steps:

Go and observe the school.
Meet with the principal.
Get a sense if the school is welcoming to children with individual differences.
See your child’s potential classroom.
Meet your child’s potential teacher
Ask the following questions:
- Does the school have experience with other children with hearing loss and if so, what kinds of support were offered?
- Does the school provide listening, speech and language therapy?
Look at the facility and pay attention to the acoustics of the classroom. Consider:
- Is there carpeting?
- Is the school on a noisy street?
- Do the windows of your child’s classroom face out to a noisy street?
Is the classroom structured into areas with physical barriers to reduce noise?

Some helpful hints for your child’s classroom:

After choosing a school for your child, remember that all classrooms can get noisy and that a noisy environment makes it more difficult for a child with a hearing loss to communicate effectively. The following tips are easy solutions to creating a quieter classroom:

Use an FM system in the classroom so that your child will hear the speaker more directly.
Use carpet remnants on the floor to absorb noise.
Cut and place tennis balls on the bottom of chairs to reduce noise when children move chairs around the classroom.
Use corkboards and artwork on the walls to reduce reverberation.

And finally…Some Words of Wisdom:

Helping your child who has a hearing loss to learn to use spoken language can seem like a long and arduous process. While it may not seem possible, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Patience and persistence are key elements in this process. And remember that it is important to look at your child as a child first, paying attention to all of his or her needs – not just the hearing loss. Finally, remember to take care of yourself so you can take care of your child.