For children with hearing loss, who have difficulty with incidental listening and often only learn what is “taught” to them, vocabulary and general knowledge tends to be limited. Parents focus their interactions on using language that the children already have or are currently learning and often select vocabulary that is…
Incidental Learning/Incidental Listening
Incidental learning is learning that occurs through observation, rather than direct teaching. Incidental listening, is the ability to overhear what is being said around us, and learn from what we have heard. It is not uncommon for parents of preschool aged children to show surprise when they hear their children…
Waiting to Start Intervention…Is It Ever Too Early?
Universal Newborn Hearing Screenings have been a game changer for children with hearing loss. Rather than late identification, many children are being identified with hearing loss and fit with amplification by just a few months of age. Often, this is well before we would expect speech and language to develop.…
Ask a “Just Right” Question, You’ll Get a “Just Right” Answer!
As children are beginning to develop language skills, I often see parents getting caught in the cycle of asking their child question after question to practice and “show off’ the newly acquired language skills. While it appears that the child is practicing listening and language skills, often the questions are…
Perspective Taking/Theory of Mind: A Critical Skill for Social Competence
When we think of our goals for our children with hearing loss (whether our own children, our students or our clients in private practice), we aim high and strive for development of age appropriate skills across all domains. This includes academics, communication, and of course socialization. To develop good social…