Technical School
Modes of Communication
When it comes to choosing how the child with a hearing loss will communicate, there are a number of options available. There is no single approach that works for all children. You should not decide on a mode simply on the basis of the potential benefits alone, but consider a number of other important factors: What does the approach demand of you? Can you meet these demands in terms of your time, effort, and lifestyle? Are appropriate services available where you live? If not, how much effort are you willing to make to access help (e.g., travel far, relocate, use online resources, etc.). Are you prepared to work with the school system to get the necessary services -- and fight for your child's rights when necessary?
The bottom line is that you need to do a fair amount of research before you can make an informed decision. The following is a brief description of the major communication options.
1. Auditory-Verbal: This approach is not just a technique but a way of life. It trains the child to use his/her hearing alone to learn how to listen and speak. The child progresses through the normal developmental stages of listening and communication development. Two key tenets of this approach are i) parents are the primary teachers for the child, and ii) children using this approach are mainstreamed into regular preschools and classrooms from the beginning. This approach is very demanding on parents requiring hard work over the long haul. Parents are intimately involved in the therapy process. Typically, therapy is available at nonprofit clinics or from private therapists. Auditory-verbal therapists are certified worldwide by The A.G. Bell Academy of Listening and Spoken Language.
2. Auditory-Oral : This approach uses listening and speech reading ("lip reading") as avenues to develop verbal communication. Children are often placed in special classes that focus on verbal communication until they are ready to enter a mainstream education environment. Typically, services are obtained through public schools which may have special self-contained 'oral' classrooms, or special private schools for the deaf.
3. Cued Speech: This is a system of hand cues used in conjunction with verbal communication to help a child understand spoken communication. The hand cues differentiate elements of speech that look the same when you speech-read. Parents need to learn and be fluent in the use of cued speech in order for it to serve its purpose.
4. Total Communication : A combination of sign language, gestures, speech reading, and verbal communication is used to develop communication skills. Parents are required to learn and be fluent in the sign language system being used with the child. There are a variety of ways in which this approach is implemented with varying emphasis on each component. Total communication option, in one form or another, is available at most public school programs.
5. Manual : This approach teaches the child sign language (in the United States, American Sign Language or ASL) as the primary language for communication, interaction and learning. Parents (and ideally family members) need to learn and be fluent in ASL. An important aspect of this approach is that it is rooted in Deaf Culture, which believes that deafness is not a disability but a characteristic that defines people of this subculture whose natural mode of communication is sign language. Many public school programs and state schools for the deaf in the U.S. offer manual option.
Note: The above gives some very basic information about the various approaches. Try and find different agencies in your area that know more about each approach.
Remember, this site focuses on teaching children to listen and speak without using any signs or cues.