Speech Therapy Treatments For Hearing Impaired Kids

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Speech Therapy Treatments For Hearing Impaired Kids | Triumph Therapeutics | Physical Therapy in Washington DC

Even before your child learns to speak, they are getting inputs from their environment which will help guide how their language skills develop.

The five traditional senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell – all help them to learn about the world around them, even before they can communicate clearly with their parents, caregivers, and other people in their lives.

If any one of these senses is impaired, it can have profound effects on childhood development.

Today we’re going to look at how hearing impairment can affect your child’s development, and how speech therapy for kids Washington DC can help.

Keep reading to find out more.

What Is Hearing Impairment?

Hearing impairment is when there is an issue with one’s hearing.

It can span from mild to severe.

Children with mild hearing loss can usually generally understand what is being said.

However, they may miss out on some sounds or details.

Those with mild hearing loss may also have difficulty listening in places which are overly noisy or with many distractions.

Children who are deaf are not able to hear at all.

While it’s most common for deaf children to be born deaf, they can also lose their hearing due to a number of other conditions, like pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Can A Hearing Impairment Affect Your Child’s Speech Development?

A large part of learning to speak for your child involves them hearing the speech of the people around them.

If your child has a mild hearing impairment, they may not be able to hear certain sounds, especially higher pitched ones such as th, sh, t,f and s.

Due to the frequency with which these sounds show up in language, not being able to hear them can make learning to speak quite difficult.

This can also lead to issues with learning how to read, social skills, and performance in school.

When a child has severe hearing loss, or is deaf, it can make things a lot harder.

How Can A Speech Therapist Help Hearing Impaired Children?

If your child is dealing with hearing loss, you’ll want to have their hearing tested by an audiologist to determine the extent of the issue.

This is especially important, since children with autism spectrum disorder or sensory processing disorder may appear to be hearing impaired, but their symptoms are unrelated.

If your child is not hearing impaired, a pediatric therapy evaluation can help get to the bottom of what’s causing their symptoms.

However, if your child is hearing impaired, speech therapy can help.

Here’s how.

1. Deciding On A Sound Amplification Device

One option which can be beneficial for people with hearing loss is to use a sound amplification device, such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant.

The technology used for these devices is continuously improving, and they can be made for babies as young as three to four weeks old.

A speech therapist can work with you to evaluate the extent of your child’s hearing loss, and show you the best options for you and your family.

How Can A Speech Therapist Help Hearing Impaired Children | Triumph Therapeutics | Physical Therapy in Washington DC

 

2. Deciding On Speech Vs. Sign Language

Another decision you will need to make is how to communicate with your child.

Depending on your situation, you may decide to use speech, sign language, or a combination of these methods.

The auditory verbal therapy approach puts the focus on having the child use their listening skills to learn how to speak.

Another option is a sign language only approach.

This tends to be used in families within the deaf community, and in families where parents and caregivers are deaf themselves.

Finally, combination approaches are just what they sound like, and incorporate aspects of spoken language with sign language and other visual supports.

3. Deciding on AAC

AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication, and it can be used to help improve your child’s communication abilities.

These methods can be grouped into no tech, low tech, and high tech options.

No tech options rely on things such as gestures, finger spelling, body language, and facial expressions.

Low tech communication can include picture and communication boards, drawing, and writing.

Finally, high tech options for augmentative communication will generally use a program on a computer, tablet, or smart phone.

4. Other Speech Therapy Solutions

Some other speech therapy solutions for children with hearing impairment can include auditory oral (or auditory based) speech therapy, and the total communication approach.

Auditory oral approach aims to optimize the use of hearing devices and lip reading, but excludes the use of sign language.

The goal of this approach is for the child to be able to fully function in a hearing community.

A total communication approach uses a combination of sign language, spoken language, and alternative communication methods such as speech generating devices or picture boards.

In cases where the total communication approach is used, families are empowered to become comfortable with aspects such as speech devices, sign language, and other alternative modes of communication.

Book Your Appointment With Triumph Therapeutics Today

Is your children showing signs they may have hearing loss?

Do they seem to have difficulty paying attention when people are speaking to them?

Maybe they aren’t reacting to sounds and noises they way you might expect them to.

Or are you worried because they should have started speaking already, but seem to be delayed in this area.

We’re Triumph Therapeutics, offering pediatric speech therapy services in the Washington DC area, and we can help.

Book an appointment, and let us help you communicate better with your child today.

If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out today for a free phone consultation.

Triumph Therapeutics

4900 Massachusetts Ave NW suite 340,
Washington, DC 20016

(202) 621-9793
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Triumph Therapeutics is a team of highly experienced pediatric therapists specializing in physical therapy, speech language therapy, and occupation therapy for children, adolescents and their families as they work to reach their growth and wellness goals