If parenting, in general, is a more-than-full-time job, parenting a child with hearing loss can sometimes feel like an exhausting marathon. While we as professionals need to know when to put “good pressure” on parents of children with hearing loss (encouraging all waking hours use of hearing devices, increasing parent talk, emphasizing the importance ofContinue reading “Time Out! What If I Need a Break?”
Tag Archives: Toddlers
Graduation: When Do We Finish with Therapy?
Long ago, many children with hearing loss received “speech therapy” well into their teen years and beyond. Thanks to newborn hearing screening, early intervention, and great hearing technology, the world is changing! Now, we find ourselves asking, “When is a child with hearing loss ready to graduate from auditory-verbal therapy?” More correctly, because therapy is aContinue reading “Graduation: When Do We Finish with Therapy?”
Observing vs. Mindreading
When a child is very young and/or doesn’t talk much (… yet!) it seems like we (parents and professionals) suddenly seem to develop psychic abilities. Mindreading means anticipating the child’s need or what the child is going to say, and taking care of it before giving the child a chance to ask for help or sayContinue reading “Observing vs. Mindreading”
“Too Early” to Mainstream a Child with Hearing Loss?
One of the parents in my practice, the mother of a bright, early-identified, early-amplified, thriving AV toddler, was discussing her son’s preschool options. Should he enroll in a local class for children with hearing loss, or attend the neighborhood preschool with his hearing peers. “I wonder,” the mother asked, “is it ever “too early” to mainstream?”
Playing Tricks in Therapy
Serious, boring therapy? No thank you! Practical jokes can be a lot of fun, but look beneath the surface and you’ll find a wealth of listening and language goals, too. Let’s talk about sabotage, theory of mind, jokes, and helping children with hearing loss develop a sense of humor.
Ling Six Sound Check
If a hearing aid, cochlear implant, or Baha has good batteries, then it should be working, right? Not so fast. The Ling Six Sound Check is a simple tool we use to ensure that hearing devices are working and giving the listener access to the sounds of speech. Six sounds, okay… what could be complicatedContinue reading “Ling Six Sound Check”
UPCOMING EVENTS: Free Webinars for Parents and Professionals
I am excited to be partnering with some great organizations this spring to give two FREE webinars for parents and professionals. Both events also offer 1CE credit from the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. See below for more information and links to register for the courses.
Cochlear Implant Evaluations: What To Expect, What to Ask
In past articles, I’ve discussed the cochlear implant process from candidacy to activation and beyond. But what actually happens in a candidacy evaluation? How do the professionals on your cochlear implant team decide who is a good candidate for the device? What do all of these appointments really mean, and what questions should informed patientsContinue reading “Cochlear Implant Evaluations: What To Expect, What to Ask”
Cooking Up Therapy
Cooking is a great thing to do in therapy for many reasons. It’s a hands-on, multi-sensory experience that most children really enjoy. Making food is part of any child’s everyday routine, it’s engaging, and you get to eat the fruits of your labor! What’s not to like? If you’re stuck in a therapy rut,Continue reading “Cooking Up Therapy”
Plateaus, Valleys, Plains and Mountains: Measuring Progress
We know that getting a cochlear implant is not an instant fix. Speech, language, and listening skills do not magically appear after activation, and progress is on everyone’s minds. How does progress happen? How much is enough? How fast? What should we do if things aren’t working out as planned?
Elizabeth A. Rosenzweig 