18 children who cannot hear well need help early
Deaf children need help early
With help, children who cannot hear can
communicate and learn language. Since
babies start learning as soon as
they are born, it is important that
families begin giving extra attention
to communication to help their deaf
children as soon as possible. If children
who cannot hear well have help to learn
a language — and that language may
be a sign language — they can understand
and communicate with people around them.
Then they can learn what other children usually
learn by hearing.
Do you want
another kiss
from mama?
What did
Grandma
ask us to
buy?
Tea.
If the child’s hearing problem
is noticed early and effective
help is provided, the best
years for learning language
and communication skills
(birth to age 7) will not be
lost. See Chapters 7, 8,
and 9 for more information
about helping a child learn
language.
How to know if your child needs help
Babies develop at their own pace. Some develop more quickly than
others. But most children grow and develop new skills at about the same
age. By age 2, most children can speak or sign about 50 to 200 words. A
child usually knows about 900 words at age 3, and 1500 words by age 4.
The important thing is that a child continue to learn new skills. But
when a child is not learning a skill even long after other children her age
have learned it, this is usually a sign that she may have a problem or
need extra help.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)