Communicating with Deaf Children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.
Normally, if children are born without diseases affecting speech development such as mental retardation, autism, short of the larynx, then after 1-2 years listening to relatives and people around around talking will form the voice itself. Through spoken language, children can communicate with the community better, more people understand them. However, deaf children are not so lucky. In order to better support their children, the relatives of these children should know how to communicate with deaf children.

1. Difficulties of deaf children

Communication Deaf children often find it difficult to keep up with conversations going on around them due to their poor hearing ability and inadequate understanding of the meaning of the conversation. This leads to children often bewildered when asked and have to ask the interlocutor again. If the child is deaf, the child must completely use signs and gestures to communicate. This is considered difficult for everyone around because they have to learn signs and signs to be able to communicate with children.
Learning Children with hearing loss may have difficulty reading mouth shapes because many of the sounds have the same mouth shape, or cannot be seen in the mouth shape. Because deaf children cannot hear as normal, listening to lectures is also very difficult, leading to difficulties in learning.

The best age to learn a language is from birth to 7 years old. From 2 to 4 years old is the period when children acquire the most language skills. Therefore, early detection of children with hearing loss, early hearing aid and early language learning are very important. If a child does not have a language until 7-8 years old, it will be difficult to learn later, without language it will be very difficult for children to develop thinking skills.
Subjects such as literature, Vietnamese, history, geography... require a lot of listening, speaking and writing skills, so deaf children often have difficulty learning these subjects. In the current conditions of Vietnam, there are not enough teachers and teachers do not have enough time to tutor children. These things become obstacles for children in learning.
In order for other children to be able to communicate better with deaf children, teachers should make a finger alphabet hang on one side of the blackboard. Everyone in the classroom and in the family should learn this way of communication to make it easier to interact with children.
Society Deaf children are often limited in communication, social relationships and making friends due to communication difficulties. Parents and teachers should note this and should create conditions for a few other friends to support children in group play activities. If children want to participate in group play, they need to understand the rules of the game and the rules of reward and punishment, it is best to actively arrange someone to explain this to the child.
Psychology For children with hearing loss at a young age, psychological obstacles are mainly related to communication. Due to difficulties in expressing needs or because of inability to understand what people around them want, children may become irritable, or angry, easily quarrel, this is normal psychology and should be understood. .
As for teenagers, deaf children may suffer from inferiority complex, low self-esteem, shyness to communicate, avoid strangers... Parents and teachers need to be sensitive to changes and psychological manifestations of children to help children become more confident and calm..

2. How to communicate with deaf children

2.1 What form of communication is most suitable for children? Depending on the cause and degree of difficulty in hearing - speech, the doctor will give advice on the most appropriate form of communication for the child. Usually, if verbal communication is hindered, children should use non-verbal supportive forms of communication such as: using signs, gestures, facial expressions, mouth movements, drawings...

2.2 Notes when communicating with children with hearing loss Speak a little louder: Do not whisper or speak softly and do not shout - just speak a little louder than usual. Speak clearly: Pay attention to speak each syllable clearly, without mumbling in your mouth. Reduce noise: You should talk in as quiet a space as possible because noise changes the sound signal transmitted to the child. Keep your mouth clear: Children with hearing impairments, once proficient, can read your mouth very well and can judge what you say by reading your mouth. Keeping your mouth clear makes it easier for children to see what you mean. Use relaxed gestures: To describe what you're saying, combine words and gestures, which make it easier for your child to grasp the situation you're talking about. Learn sign language: if you are a healthcare provider for a child who is using a hearing aid and is completely deaf, sign language will help you both communicate more effectively. To become fluent in sign language, it will take some time. To communicate with deaf children, be really patient and gentle. Imagine the frustration that deaf children must endure in order to communicate effectively. Do not be impatient if what you want to say cannot be conveyed to the child, try again and again and master the ways of communicating with children with hearing loss above.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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