choosing and learning a language 79
When did your child begin to have difficulty hearing?
If your child became deaf after he learned to speak, he may still be
able to read people’s lips and improve his speech. He can continue to
develop his language even after he loses his hearing. But if your child
is born completely deaf or cannot hear speech sounds, it will be very
difficult or impossible for him to learn to read lips or to speak.
Children who learned to talk before they lost their hearing
can speak better than children who were born deaf.
This boy lost some hearing
at age 3. He can hear some
speech sounds. He may learn
to speak and read lips.
This girl became deaf
when she was 6. She can
speak and read lips.
These children
were born deaf.
They cannot speak
or read lips.
How much can your child hear?
The more speech sounds (talking) a child can hear, the more he can
use his hearing to understand words or parts of words, to read lips,
and perhaps to learn to speak. Children who cannot hear speech
sounds will have difficulty learning these skills or may never learn
them.
This child can hear speech sounds.
She might learn to read lips and
to speak.
This child cannot hear any sounds at all.
It will be very difficult or impossible for
her to read lips or to speak.
What’s that,
Safiya?
What do you
have, Abena?
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)