Our hearing impairment team specialise in working with babies and children who have speech, language or communication difficulties, and who have been diagnosed with permanent bilateral moderate to profound hearing loss. We also work with children who have been given hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Often your baby or child will be referred to us by your child’s qualified teacher of the deaf or other member of the children’s hearing services team, following discussion with you. We work closely with teachers and with you to optimise your child’s communication skills.
We look at communication in its widest sense including the following:
- Skills that develop before language such as eye-contact, turn taking, play skills
- Understanding of spoken language and/or signed language
- Development of spoken language and/or signed language
- Speech skills: looking at both the speech sounds a child can hear and use as well as looking at other areas such as voice quality
- Social skills: such as asking for help if something has not been heard or understood clearly; asking questions to show interest in others
We work into schools, nurseries and / or homes to support Deaf children and their families.