As your family navigates getting connected with supports, services, and care providers, explore some these pages to learn more about other family experiences:
Here are some tips to interacting and communicating with your deaf or hard of hearing child to support their learning and development:
Start communicating with your baby now! Your baby can learn how to read your face and body, even if they can’t hear your spoken words. Additionally, babies can begin learning and benefiting from sign language right away.
Babies learn from the routines you have and things you do or say in everyday life. Sign and/or talk to your child as you do daily tasks such as changing a diaper, giving a bath, or feeding a meal. Your child will also learn when you sign and/or sing songs, do finger plays, and play games like peek-a-boo.
Things to Try
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Examples
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Use a natural voice when speaking to your child. Talk, sign, and/or sing to your child.
| While rocking or cuddling with your baby, sing or sign lullabies and tell them how much you love them.
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Begin signing with your baby
| Use signs that are relevant to daily routines and activities such as “eat,” “milk,” “sleep,” and “play.” Every time you say “milk,” sign the word for milk too.
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Use facial expressions that match your words and actions.
| While playing peek-a-boo, say “Peek-a-boo!” with a surprised, happy look on your face.
Say, “Do you need your diaper changed?” with a questioning look on your face.
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Explain when it is time to do something.
| Say and sign “It’s time for a nap. Let’s go take a nap."
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Make lots of eye contact and use touch, hugs, and kisses to help your baby learn how to interact with you and your family.
| Look at your baby’s face and say and sign, "I love you,” then give lots of hugs and kisses.
Guide your child’s hand as they gently pet your family dog. At the same time, look your baby in the face and say and sign, “Gentle,” or, “Nice doggy.” Your baby will learn how it feels to pet the dog gently.
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Watch and listen for your child to sign and say words and respond to them.
| If your child is making an “M” sound, respond by saying, "Mmmm… milk!" and pointing to your child’s bottle/cup. If your child makes the sign for milk, repeat the sign while saying, "Milk!" and pointing to your child’s bottle/cup.
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Respond to your child’s facial expressions.
| Say and/or sign, “You look like you’re having fun!” with a big smile. Say and/or sign, “Uh oh. You look sad,” with a sad face.
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Monitor your child’s ongoing growth and development and write down what you’re seeing. You can find developmental milestone here to keep track. Here are some writing topics to help you get started:
- Sounds and signs that your child responds to or makes – as your child grows, this may help you see how far they has come!
- Questions or concerns that you have
- Your feelings and experiences during this process
- Your hopes, dreams, and thoughts about the future
Consider making a binder or notebook to keep copies of clinical reports and important forms. Include a cover sheet with names and phone numbers for your child’s primary health care provider, audiologist, and insurance company. Take this notebook to your child’s appointments, so you can provide old information and have a place to store new materials, too. Make sure you bring any questions you have, and extra paper to take notes. Parents have also recommended establishing a case manager with your insurance provider.
People who are close to you can be great support. Invite the support people in your child’s life to spend time with them and participate in visits to the audiologist, early intervention meetings, and parent groups.