56 what can your child hear?
Can the child hear speech sounds?
Speech sounds also have differences in pitch. The speech sounds ‘t’, ‘d’,
‘s’, and ‘sh’, for example, have a higher pitch than sounds like ‘oo’, ‘ee’,
and ‘m’. This means your child may be able to hear some speech sounds
but not others.
It will help to know if your child can hear high, middle, or low-pitch
speech sounds, and how loud the sounds have to be for him to hear
them. Try to notice the sounds he seems to hear when family members
speak.
Children may seem to understand words when it is really the situation
that makes the meaning clear. If someone says “Get the ball,” while
pointing or looking at it, the child may go to get the ball. He may not
have heard the word but may have seen the person pointing at the ball.
To find out if he is hearing words or not, use 3 or 4 familiar objects in a
game or as part of a daily task he already knows. Do this several times
to find out if your child hears the names for the objects.
First, say the
words without
giving any
clues.
Let me see if Kwame
can hear what I say.
Get
your
ball.
Then, if your child did not
understand the words alone, say
the words, then look at the object.
Get your
ball.
Your child may also seem to hear
sounds some times but not always.
This does not mean your child is
being stubborn. He just does not hear
you. Many things can affect how he
responds to sounds — like the time
of day, hunger, or how your child
is feeling that day. Colds and ear
infections can also affect children’s
hearing temporarily.
If your child still does not understand,
say the words, then look and point to
the object.
Get your
ball.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)