Your child will need to have a hearing test conducted by a professional who can evaluate the extent to which the child’s hearing is impaired. Once this is established and a proper course of treatment has been put in place, the next task is to teach your child how to communicate. Many parents use baby sign language to start the process. As the child approaches school age, begin teaching reading skills. This will require patience and perhaps some creativity.
If your child wears assistive devices, have a hearing aid test to ensure your child is getting the most out of his or her hearing aids. This may reduce some frustrations as you try to teach your child to read. Next, choose the best teaching method for your child. The visual method is the most popular one, with sign language being an integral part of the teaching process. Another means is the dialogue journal; this is a specialty product available that caters specifically to the hearing impaired. Parents can invest in computer software that has been designed specifically to help children with hearing impairments learn to read.
You can also make use of professional help in teaching your child to read. In some cases, educational videos have also proven to be a good resource. Several centers specialize in helping children with hearing loss, and there are specialists at these centers who have years of experience in introducing children to the written word. They will be able to identify any trouble the child has and work with him or her on an individual basis.