Over the years, strategies for teaching reading to children have varied from phonics to whole language, and back again. Before learning to read and spell, children must firmly grasp that sounds are like building blocks. They must be able to break apart (segment) and put together (blend) sounds in order…
My Child is Being Mainstreamed….What Services Should I Expect?
Every child is different so there is no “one size fits all” for services and accommodations needed for the child with hearing loss in the mainstream. What each child requires is dependent on so many different things. We need to consider at what age the child’s hearing loss occurred. Was…
I Can’t Understand My Child’s Speech—What Sounds are Expected at Different Ages?
Speech sound production is a complex task that takes time to develop. Children born with typical hearing, only use reflexive vocalizations (i.e. crying, grunting, coughing and sneezing) for the first few months of life. Next, cooing begins, followed by some vocal play/repetitive babbling. True babbling doesn’t even begin until 6-10…
I Don’t Have an Experienced SLP Working with My Child. What Can I Do?
Having an experienced speech-language pathologist (SLP) who understands hearing loss and the auditory brain working with your newly implanted (or aided) child is essential for optimal progress. The experienced SLP understands the early stages of implantation, the hierarchy of auditory skills, and methods for working on speech and language through…
When Will My Child Talk?…Understanding Language is Only the First Step
First Things First Following optimal amplification (either hearing aids or cochlear implants) your child should have access to all of the sounds around them, especially the sounds of speech. This is when we begin the clock of expectations for language development. It is important to remember that normal hearing babies…