Hearing Center - A Location Any Auditory-Impaired Child Should Learn

As any hearing center can tell you, educating a child with auditory impairment is about more than simply finding ways around their disability. Making it through life is hard enough even without a barrier. With a disability, it can be extraordinarily challenging at times. As a parent, your job is to not only give your child the tools he needs to engage and conquer these challenges, but the mindset he needs to do so. Making it past barriers is as much about strength as it is about tools and techniques. Give your child strength by teaching them these important concepts.

Educating Others

Children can face teasing for the most mundane differences. Hairstyles, skin color, and clothing are but a few targets of mean children. Any signs of weakness or disability are guaranteed to bring scorn. Even adults don't like things they don't understand. So one of the important concepts a child with auditory impairment needs to learn is to be able to educate others on their disability. Have them understand how to explain to other children and adults why they may need a listening aid and why they may not always be able to hear as well as others can. A hearing center may be able to give you specific language you can use.

Self-Advocacy

They say that you may as well toot your own horn, because no one else is going to do it for you. The same is true in the case of those with auditory impairment. Every teacher, friend, and boss is going to have their own world of concerns and priorities. It will be up to your child to make sure their needs are met. Many people are more than happy to make adjustments to their speech if asked politely. Any worker at a hearing center will know this from experience. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so make sure your child understand the importance of speaking up.

Accentuate Differences

Even without the unfortunate reality of teasing and ostracizing, your child will know they are different without any help from others. It's up to you as a parent to help them understand that everyone is different in their own way and that their disability is far from the most unique thing about them. While others may not have differences as obvious on the outside, every person has things that make them special and unique. Emphasize this and accentuate the fact that, while a group of people may look similar, they are each as different as a dog and a fire hydrant when you peel back a few layers.