Spoken Language for Kids with Hearing Loss: An Option

For your information, I will be posting lots of articles and research regarding hearing loss and cochlear implants. I was fortunate enough to be able to focus much of my time in graduate school in a program aimed at training students how to facilitate listening and spoken language in young children with hearing loss. It is my strong belief that parents have a right to be presented with all options for their children who are born deaf. One of these options is the spoken language route. Auditory-Verbal Therapy is a type of therapy that helps a child who is born deaf use amplification (hearing aids or cochlear implants) to learn to listen and use spoken language. It is truly an amazing option that, with new research and technology, is more available and successful than in the past.

While attending graduate school, I had an opportunity to go to Connecticut and visit CREC Soundbridge which is a school focusing on teaching children with hearing loss how to listen and use spoken language.  I walked in to a classroom full of 4 and 5 year olds.  They were all wearing cochlear implants (some wore 2), and were all therefore born deaf.  Yet they all came up to me and bombarded me with questions, "Who are you? What's your name? Want to play with me?"  It was incredible.   No sign language, all listening and talking.  Crazy cool. 

The program I referred to earlier is called "The Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language". It is located at Utah State University. Check out their website for more information.