EVDC

1. Children respond to changes in the environment more than just the sounds themselves. So make sure you alternate silence and sound. This makes it easier for your child to pay attention to the sound.

2. Very young children will easily lose interest in sounds if they are repeated too often. We call this habituation. So keep changing the sounds you use for this task. In this activity, we just want the child to learn that he needs to respond in some way to all sounds he hears.

3. Always say the sound, point to your ear and use "Listen!" to let the child know he needs to listen for something. When another person speaks, you should use "I hear that!" to draw your child's attention to the sound.

This is a structured activity. It is best to be seated beside your child. You need to check the hearing aids/implant and make sure they are working.

Watch the first video clip to get an idea of how we teach the child to listen. Then read the steps below.

1. We will begin with target words such as jump, go, stop, and fall down. We also use music so that the child can learn to listen to the pattern of sounds. You can choose any target words and any music you wish as long as there is an action associated with them.

2. Collect toys to be able to do the actions above e.g. stuffed animals or a car. Also make sure you have a music player -- a radio, tape etc. The music should have a strong beat to it.

3. Draw the child's attention by using the cue 'Listen!' Bring out the toy and play with it for a few seconds. Then hold the toy and say "Listen!" again while pointing to your ear. Wait (count to five) so there is a quiet time. Then suddenly say "jump!" and make the toy jump. You can also use a more natural phrase like "1,2,3 ....... jump!"

4. When the car falls off the table, talk about what happened e.g. " Uh oh! The car fell down! Let's pick it up!"

5. Do this all over again.

6. Have your child hold the toy and listen. You may need to help your child to wait by holding his hand gently. When you say "jump!" your child should do the action. If he doesn't, then you help him to do it.

7. With the music, have a dance that you do when you turn the music on. Stop when you turn the music off. Use the appropriate language. So, use " I hear the music" and "It stopped. I don't hear it".

Now, watch the second video clip. Read these instructions again, then do this activity with your child 2-3 times a day.