Speech Therapy for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: How Can It Help?

If your child is deaf or hard of hearing and isn't talking yet, speech therapy might not be the first type of support that comes to mind.

After all, if your child has limited or different access to spoken language, how can a Speech-Language Therapist help them learn to communicate?

Speech Language Therapy for deaf and hard of hearing children can involve much more than just practising speech sounds. Speech Language Therapy

can support children to develop language, understand communication, express their needs and ideas, build literacy skills and find effective ways to communicate with the people around them.

For some children this may include developing spoken language. For others, communication may include New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), gestures, visual communication or a combination of approaches.

The goal isn't simply to get a deaf child "talking". It's to make sure they have access to language and a way to communicate.

Communication starts before speech

Talking is only one part of communication. Long before children begin using spoken words, they communicate through facial expressions, eye gaze, gestures, pointing, sounds, signs and interactions with the people around them.

For a deaf or hard of hearing child, these early communication skills are particularly important.

A child may already be communicating a great deal, even if they aren't using spoken words yet.

A Speech Language Therapist can help parents and whānau recognise these early communication attempts and build on them, creating more opportunities for the child to understand language and express themselves.

How can hearing loss affect speech and language development?

Children learn language through their interactions with the people and world around them. For children developing spoken language, being able to access speech sounds plays an important part in that process.

A deaf or hard of hearing child may have reduced or different access to those sounds. This can affect how easily they pick up new words, distinguish between speech sounds or follow spoken conversations.

But every child is different. The impact will depend on many things, including the type and level of hearing loss, when it was identified, the child's access to language and the communication approaches available to them.

Importantly, hearing loss doesn't prevent a child from developing language. The priority is making sure they have consistent, meaningful access to language in a form that works for them.

What can a Speech-Language Therapist help with?

Speech-language therapy isn't simply about practising sounds or getting words "right".

Depending on your child's individual communication needs, therapy may support:

• Understanding language, including words, questions, instructions and conversations.

• Expressing themselves, so they can communicate their thoughts, needs, feelings and ideas.

• Developing spoken language and speech sounds, where this is appropriate for the child.

• Building vocabulary and sentences as their language develops.

• Social communication, including conversations, friendships and communicating with other people.

• Literacy skills, including the language foundations needed for reading, spelling and writing.

• Communication strategies for parents and whānau that can be used naturally at home.

The support should be based on the individual child, rather than assuming every deaf or hard of hearing child needs the same thing.

What about hearing aids and cochlear implants?

Hearing aids and cochlear implants can give children greater access to sound, but hearing sound and understanding language aren't the same thing. A child still needs opportunities to learn what those sounds and words mean, how language works and how they can use it themselves.

For children who are developing spoken language, a Speech Language Therapist can work alongside the family and other professionals involved in the child's hearing care to support their communication development.

Does speech therapy mean my child has to use spoken language?

No. And this is an important distinction.

Some deaf and hard of hearing children primarily use spoken language. Some use NZSL, while others communicate using a combination of spoken language, sign, gestures and visual communication.

Speech and language therapy should not be about trying to make every child communicate in the same way. The aim is to help your child develop effective, meaningful communication and ensure they have access to language.

Supporting communication at home

Some of the best opportunities to develop communication happen during ordinary family life.

Playing together, reading, eating dinner, getting dressed or simply talking about what you're doing can all create opportunities for communication.

Following your child's interests, noticing how they are communicating and responding to those attempts helps show them that their communication has meaning.

You don't need to turn home into a therapy room. Small, repeated interactions throughout the day can make a difference. For more practical ideas, read our Supporting Your Child's Communication at Home guide.

Working alongside the people already supporting your child

Deaf and hard of hearing children may already have a number of people involved in their support.

Depending on the child, this could include their family and whānau, teachers, audiologists, advisers on deaf children and other health or education professionals.

Speech language therapy works best when it isn't happening in isolation.

Sharing information and strategies across the child's support network can help make communication support more consistent and, importantly, more useful in the places where the child actually communicates every day.

When should I speak with a Speech-Language Therapist?

You don't have to wait until communication becomes a major difficulty before asking for advice.

It may be worth speaking with a Speech Language Therapist if you're concerned about your child's understanding or use of language, speech clarity, communication confidence, literacy development or ability to participate in conversations and social situations.

An assessment can help identify your child's strengths, where they may benefit from additional support and practical strategies that can be used at home and in their learning environment.

Speech-language therapy for deaf and hard of hearing children in Christchurch

At Talk Together, we believe communication support should be practical, individual and meaningful to each child.

Our Speech Language Therapists work collaboratively with children, families and the other important people in a child's life. Therapy is adapted around the child's communication needs, strengths and interests, with strategies designed to carry over into everyday situations.

If your child is deaf or hard of hearing and you're wondering whether they may benefit from additional speech, language or communication support, learn more about our speech-language therapy in Christchurch or get in touch with Talk Together to discuss what support may be appropriate for your child.