How educational support can benefit your child with hearing loss
CHC’s Dana Selznick, M.A., M. Ed., with a client
As CHC’s Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, my role is to offer guidance and support services to help children with hearing loss and auditory processing disorder (APD) reach their full academic potential. At this time of year parents often ask me, “What can I do to help my child succeed in school?” My to-do list has three essential items:
Advocacy
Educational support
Parent involvement
Parents who take these steps, in addition to ongoing audiology care and communication therapy, will get the school year started on the right foot.
It’s vitally important to make sure your child has maximum access to sound. Be sure to also check out CHC’s back-to-school audiology tips by Pediatric Audiologist Anita Stein-Meyers.
1. Advocacy
If your child with hearing loss is starting a mainstream school or entering a new grade this year, now is the time to reach out and request a meeting with his/her teachers. A face-to-face meeting will allow you to provide a complete background on your child’s hearing loss and convey a thorough understanding of the communication challenges it poses in the classroom.
To facilitate the exchange of information, CHC has developed the following communication pieces that serve to introduce your child to his/her new teachers. You can customize the letters below by filling in the designated fields with information about your child’s unique hearing needs. Please note that you must first download the file and use the “save as” function. When you open the saved version of the file, the fill-in fields will appear. The description for each field is visible when you hover over each box.
Additionally, we’ve prepared fact sheets with tips and information to help teachers and other education professionals accommodate the needs of children with hearing loss in the classroom and on the playing field.
You’re encouraged to download and share these forms and fact sheets.
Advocating on behalf of your child requires patience and persistence. If you encounter bumps in the road, please feel free to contact me at (917) 305-7855 or dselznick@chchearing.org. If you’re in New York, I can be available to accompany you when you meet with school representatives. Classroom accommodations are a must for children with hearing loss.
2. Educational support services
Education Specialist, Dana Selznick, with CHC client
CHC is here for you every step of the way in your child’s listening, language, social-emotional and educational development. That includes educational support services to help your child with hearing loss get the most our of his or her mainstream education.
Educational support is a vitally important step in your child’s journey with hearing loss because it bridges the gap between center-based speech/language therapy and the academic environment.
Educational support services at CHC include:
Reading and writing support
Organization/classroom strategies
IEP support
Social skills group
School observations
In-services
School placement consultations
Contact me at (917) 305-7855 or dselznick@chchearing.org to learn more about these and other educational support services that can help your child become a more confident and independent learner.
3. Parent involvement
CHC parents know that family-centered care is at the heart of our children’s program. It is only with your active participation and support that your child can successfully flourish as a learner.
With the first day of school just around the corner, we encourage you to take time to sit with your child and have a meaningful discussion about their hopes and dreams for the upcoming school year. Let them know that you are there to help them achieve their dreams. Share stories of times that you set your mind to accomplishing a goal and how it took hard work and dedication to succeed.
Each year, I encourage students to fill out a Hopes and Dreams worksheet. This activity allows children to plan out what their hopes and dreams are for the coming school year. Below are downloadable versions for you to print out and complete with your child. If you would like additional goal-setting projects to work on with your child throughout the school year, please feel free to contact me at (917) 305-7855 or dselznick@chchearing.org.
Best wishes for a wonderful school year!