Tag Archives: Social-Emotional

Is This a “Hearing Loss Thing” or a “Kid Thing”?

One of the most common questions I hear from parents is, “My child does XYZ.  Is this due to the hearing loss?”  I’ve heard all kinds of things — from the obvious (having difficulty hearing in noise) to the off-the-wall (preferring a certain food) — attributed to the child’s hearing loss.  What drives this, andContinue reading “Is This a “Hearing Loss Thing” or a “Kid Thing”?”

Why Not Baby Signs?

Even parents who have chosen a listening and spoken language outcome for their children often ask, “Should we use baby signs?” just to fill the gap during the time from identification to cochlear implantation, or identification to those first spoken words.  If you’re to believe the media hype, every parent, those of children with and withoutContinue reading “Why Not Baby Signs?”

Back to School Guide for Students with Hearing Loss

Can you believe that August is here already and it’s time to start thinking about getting back into the school routine?  The beginning of the school year is an exciting time, but it can also be filled with anxiety on the part of parents, students with hearing loss, and school staff.  How will other studentsContinue reading “Back to School Guide for Students with Hearing Loss”

8 Ways to Build a Great Parent-Therapist Relationship

Some relationships in life we get to choose, but others are chosen for us.  When parents discover that their child has a hearing loss and select a communication outcome for their family, they are plunged into a web of new relationships that they almost certainly would not have chosen for themselves.

Helping Extended Family Members Understand Hearing Loss

Parents of children with hearing loss face the challenge of explaining their child’s deafness to extended family members all year long, but the holiday season, with its endless get-togethers and celebrations, often brings these conflicts to a head.  Even the most well-meaning family members can cause stress when they ask questions like, “Isn’t he talkingContinue reading “Helping Extended Family Members Understand Hearing Loss”

Autism and Hearing Loss

April is Autism Awareness Month.  What does this have to do with hearing loss?  Approximately 40% of children with hearing loss have some sort of additional disability or condition, and many families and professionals are facing the task of helping children face the dual challenges of hearing loss as well as autism.

AG Bell 2012: Saturday Concurrent Sessions

In this post: Fathers Parenting a Child with Hearing Loss, Remaining Vigilant for Today’s Children with Hearing Loss, and 60 Minute Session How to Be Effective.

Step Away From the Prize Box: Building Internal Motivation in Children

During my undergraduate and graduate training, I had whole lectures, book chapters, and seminars devoted to the topic of behavior management and reinforcement — how to use primary reinforcers (food), token economies (how many check marks should equal a sticker?  how many stickers to a lollipop?), prizes, rewards, and more.

Let’s Talk About Behavior

Discipline/behavior management is often the most difficult topic for professionals and parents alike.  Children do not come with a user’s manual, and “bad” behavior can drive adults up a wall.  Below are a few of my thoughts as well as some tried and true techniques that I have used to tame even the most trantrum-proneContinue reading “Let’s Talk About Behavior”

Social-Emotional Development for Children

As a child grows, so do his abilities to socialize and interact with those around him.  When children approach the beginning of formal schooling at about five or six years of age, a whole new world of social experiences opens up for them to explore.  How can we help ensure that our children with hearingContinue reading “Social-Emotional Development for Children”