It can be pretty devastating to know that your child has hearing loss. Not only is it heartbreaking to know that your child won’t be able to appreciate the sounds most of us take for granted, but it’s also painful to know that growing up will be even more challenging for him. These limitations, however, should not stop you from teaching him how to cope and communicate better, nor should it stop you from teaching him new skills.
Below are four tips that can help a child with hearing loss.
#1 – Start Early
The moment you notice that your child may be having some hearing problems, you need to take him to his pediatrician immediately for screening and early treatment. Remember, a baby’s brain develops very quickly during childhood. The sooner he gets help, the better he can cope with his environment. With proper training, right treatment options, and rehabilitation, he could recover some of his auditory functions.
#2 – Stimulate His Auditory Pathways
In addition to early intervention therapy and treatment, you also need to be proactive and participate in your child’s therapy. Some simple activities that can help stimulate your child’s auditory pathways are reading aloud to your child, singing songs, and describing things. These activities help him explore sounds, teach him about his environment, and help him learn social and verbal skills.
#3 – Incorporate Group Games into Your Home
Hearing loss affects a child’s verbal and social skills. So at an early age, you should introduce him to group games like Tag, Pictionary, Hide-and-Seek, Pass-the-Parcel, and Follow-the-Leader. It will also benefit him to let him join sports like table tennis, basketball, soccer, etc. These games will help him develop his verbal and social skills.
#4 – Find Support
This last tip is more for the child’s caretakers than for the child himself. Remember, you won’t be able to help him if you, yourself, are too stressed out. So find some support groups for yourself where you can talk about your child and learn coping tips from other parents. A good support system is going to help you emotionally, physically, and mentally, which, in turn, will make you a better caretaker.
