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I am Still Reeling from the Shock! (Info for New Parents)

If your child has just been diagnosed with hearing loss, read "For New Parents" first, before you visit the rest of this website.

Okay, I am Ready! How Do I Go About It ?

Once you are ready to move forward, here are the Step-By-Step instructions on what to do next. It is important to go through these steps before you can move on to ParentGuide, which is a program designed to help you work with your child at home.

My Child is Already in A Program; How Can I Work with My Child at Home ?

If your child is already in a special program that teaches him to listen and talk, you may be receiving instruction on how to work with your child. You can use the ParentGuide program to supplement it. If the program uses sign language partially or entirely, your child's teacher or therapist may be able to help you use some of the techniques described on this website to teach him some spoken language. But, as a general rule, it is not a good idea to follow two programs with conflicting objectives at the same time.

If your child is not in a special program but is attending a regular classroom, you may still be able to use the ParentGuide program. You need to work with his class teacher to figure out what exactly your child is being taught in the class. You will then have to find lessons on this website which match his skill levels and then teach the classroom subject through these lessons. If the classroom teacher (who is not a specialist in teaching deaf children to talk) is motivated, you can share the information on this website with her, so that she may incorporate these strategies in teaching your child.

My Child is 5 Years or Older; Can He Still Learn to Talk ?

If your child is starting out on this process rather late, teaching him to listen and talk is a greater challenge (This assumes that your child had a hearing loss either from birth or soon afterwards. If your child lost his hearing after he had learned to talk, the situation is very different). He can still learn to listen and talk, but the climb will be hard. You will need to devote a good portion of the day to structured activities in the beginning (The Lessons Overview page explains what a "structured" activity is). In this scenario, It is especially important to have direct professional help, even if you cannot get it on a regular basis or have to travel far to get it. In addition to direct therapy, the professional can periodically evaluate your child's progress and guide your work at home.

The fact that it is challenging doesn't mean it cannot be done -- it is important not to limit a child's potential because of his age. High expectations combined with consistent and intensive practice will lead to significant progress.

Frequently Asked Questions By Parents

Read the FAQ, for answers to some common questions. If you have additional questions, feel free to discuss it in the Forum.
IMPORTANT !
You need to have the latest Flash Player (version 10 or later) installed to view the video clips.
If you have a Windows PC, use Internet Explorer (7 or later) or Google Chrome browser.
(Firefox does not display the video properly)
If you have a Mac, you can use either Firefox for Mac or Safari.
Click the links to download the above software if you do not already have them.

What If I Can't Understand the Technical Stuff on this Website ?

DON'T WORRY IF YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU READ ON THIS WEBSITE.
START WORKING WITH YOUR CHILD.
START WITH WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND.
ASK FOR HELP IN THE FORUM.
HELP OTHER PARENTS WITH WHAT YOU KNOW.
YOU CAN DO IT !

A translation of this web page contents is available as a .pdf file in Danish