Why do some hearing families view having a deaf child as devastating? They can’t communicate with their children. This may cause frustration to the parents.

Deaf sports are important in Deaf life on physical, social, and mental levels. It has been said that Deaf athletes do not feel disabled in sports. They maintain that sign language gives them increased empowerment, and they do not have communication problems in Deaf sports.

It is highly valued by the Deaf community because it’s visually accessible. Values in the Deaf community include the importance of clear communication for all both in terms of expression and comprehension. Deaf residential schools and Deaf clubs are important because of the natural social interaction they offer.

“Deaf culture is important because it allows individuals to be who they are,” O’Banion explained, “and live in a way that is unique to them. There’s more to a person than whether or not they can hear, so don’t just focus on their ears.”

Like other forms of oppression, audism prevents deaf and hard of hearing people from achieving their true potential. The consequences of audism include language deprivation, isolation, and widespread poverty, among others.

Audism simply refers to the discrimination or prejudice against individuals who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Empowerment primarily implies giving power and authority to a person. In that sense, it deals with a redistribution of resources and power, which brings up the question of whether an increase in empowerment for one group of people automatically means a decrease for others.

Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. In social work, empowerment forms a practical approach of resource-oriented intervention.

While IDEA provides D/HH students with opportunities to participate with hearing peers in the public education system, IDEA also provides space in classrooms that generate mechanisms for hearing students to take up interest in ASL and the Deaf community and culture.

Special needs can range from people with autism, Asperger syndrome, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, dyslexia, dyspraxia, blindness, deafness, ADHD, and cystic fibrosis. They can also include cleft lips and missing limbs.

The official definition of deafness from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is “a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.” The phrase “with or without amplification” is significant as it …

Students in these schools develop emotional, social and cognitive abilities that are crucial to realizing human potential and identity. They provide extracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, and mentoring by successful deaf and hard of hearing adult role and language models.

Strategies for supporting a child with a hearing impairment in school

1. Classroom equipment. A radio aid is a microphone worn by the teacher that connects to a hearing aid, and can also be passed to other pupils during activities such as group reading.
2. Dedicated staff.
3. Teaching.
4. Meet with parents regularly.
5. A ‘hearing buddy’

The classroom environment itself can also determine the success of a deaf student’s learning abilities, and some options for deaf education include:

1. Day schools.
2. Early intervention and preschool programs.
3. Residential schools for the deaf.
4. Self-contained classrooms.
5. Mainstreaming and inclusion in general education settings.

Communicating with a deaf child

1. Find out how they communicate.
2. Get their attention.
3. Face them when you’re talking.
4. Speak clearly and naturally.
5. Watch your mouth.
6. Use visual cues, where possible.
7. Make it clear what the topic of conversation is.
8. Stand with your face to the light.

Learning to talk can be very difficult for a person who’s deaf from birth or became deaf at a very early age. For them, learning to talk can be a long process, requiring lots of practice. However, recipients still need to learn and practice different speech sounds, eventually forming them into words and sentences.

7 top tips for communicating with deaf people.

1. Always face a deaf person. Make eye contact and keep it while you are talking.
2. Check noise and lighting. Turn off or move away from background noise.
3. Keep your distance.
4. Speak clearly, slowly and steadily.
5. Take turns.
6. Repeat and re-phrase if necessary.
7. Write it down.

Tips for Working with Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

1. Speak directly to the student who is deaf.
2. Look at the deaf student, not the interpreter.
3. Speak at a normal rate.
4. Allow the interpreter to sit or stand near you.
5. Remember that the interpreter will be a few words behind the speaker.
6. Provide the interpreter with extra copies of materials being discussed in class.

Make yourself available through informal networking. Let others know that you are available to serve as a resource in your community to parents trying to learn more about raising a deaf or hard of hearing child. Volunteer at schools with deaf and hard of hearing programs and related community events.

Typically, strategies used to attract the attention of a deaf person include:

1. waving your hand.
2. if you are close by, tapping on the shoulder or upper arm of the deaf person.
3. if you are not close by, asking a person nearby to tap on the shoulder or upper arm of the deaf person.
4. flashing the lights in the room.

DO’S:

1. Tap gently on the shoulder to get attention.
2. If beyond the reach to tap, wave in the air until eye contact is established.
3. Switch lights on and off to get attention.
4. Establish a comfortable distance between you and the person involved in communication.
5. Establish eye contact before beginning communication.

Treating Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients: Dos and Don’ts

1. DO speak directly to the patient in the second person point of view.
2. DO use eye contact to improve communication.
3. DO consider facial expressions part of the dialogue.
4. DON’T be afraid to use the word “Deaf”
5. DON’T assume the patient uses American Sign Language (ASL)
6. DON’T exaggerate your speech or increase your volume.