Full course description
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 90% of children who are deaf/hard of hearing are born to hearing parents and about 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the US are born with some level of hearing loss in one or both ears. It is required that the hearing of all newborns in the United States be screened, prior to the child leaving the hospital. Some children may also acquire hearing loss after birth due to recurrent otitis media or an undetected loss at birth.
In this module, Listen Up: Understanding and Supporting Children with Hearing Loss, you will explore the impact that hearing loss has on a child’s development. You will learn about different types and levels of hearing loss as well as their impact on speech, language, and listening. Further, you will explore and identify hearing technology that can support children to engage fully in the early childhood setting. As an early childhood educator, it is important to be aware of each family’s communication choices for their deaf/hard of hearing child.
To support your direct service and supports in spaces with young children, you will learn strategies to implement in a childcare or classroom setting to support children who are deaf/hard of hearing. It is imperative that children who are deaf/hard of hearing have a comprehensive team which includes their family, pediatrician, audiologist, therapists, and all early childhood professionals working to support each child reaching their fullest potential; consistent support across environments and caregivers is essential for each child to be successful.