New Study: Babies Learn Language By Lip-reading
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012All babies lip-read from about 6 months of age, to learn mouth-shapes for the sounds they hear, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University.
When a baby gazes intently at a speaker’s mouth, this indicates they are working to learn to form syllables for themselves, instead of just babbling.
Read the piece >> Babies Learn Language By [...]
Technology Bridges The Deaf And Hearing Worlds
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011The Tech section of Malaysia’s New Straits Times broadsheet newspaper recently ran an interview with a female, deaf IT graduate and blogger, who outlines exactly how technology helps bridge the deaf and hearing worlds.
Read the piece: Sound Her Out >>
Employers, tertiary-education providers and IT firms can gain from reading this piece, which notes how regular [...]
Communication Technology Solutions – By Design
Monday, November 28th, 2011“Communication technologies [for] people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing are just as much for the general hearing public… in that they foster communication between both groups.” **
Think of SMS texting on mobile phones, web-chat (via text, video or voice), and Facebook posts as everyday solutions for universal access. Real-time captioning (CART) and captioned web-videos similarly [...]
Write-Up Of IDK’s Tech Event (Oct 10th, 2011)
Sunday, October 23rd, 2011Irish Deaf Kids held a technology and education event in Dublin on October 10th, 2011. The event proved to be invaluable for all attendees, and was put together to give parents, educators and other stakeholders in-depth insights to how deaf and hard-of-hearing (hoh) children can use digital tools to better communicate and learn in a [...]
Video Games: The Literacy Of Problem-Solving
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011“Video-games, and the type of learning and thinking they generate, may serve as a cornerstone for education and economies of the future”.
For children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, video-games offer great learning potential. Social and interpersonal skills can be taught, as can problem-solving abilities (which the children in question may have already).
Read the full piece: Is [...]
Communicate, Educate, Integrate – Technology And Deaf Children In Mainstream Environments
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011IDK is hosting a seminar, “Communicate, Educate, Integrate – Technology and Deaf Children in Mainstream Environments” on October 10th, in Dublin.
This FREE event is for everyone with an interest in hearing, communication, language, learning and supportive technologies for deaf children/students in mainstream environments.
No prior understanding of deafness or of the technology solutions reviewed, is required [...]
Technology Has Revolutionised Deaf Education
Thursday, September 15th, 2011The teaching of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing has altered as a result of technologies such as cochlear implants and speech-to-text tools, according to a recent report from Project Forum, at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, in the United States (see summary).
Technology Has Changed The Teaching Of Deaf Students
Notable findings [...]
After A Cochlear Implant – The Real Work Begins
Thursday, September 8th, 2011In response to a mum’s recent mail, here’s what may be expected when a child’s cochlear implant is switched on for the first time.
After a cochlear implant is activated, a child can take more than a month to respond to sounds they hear. Then, “the real work begins”, families are told.
(Lights, Sound) Activation!
As the child [...]
New School Year – A Quick Reference List
Monday, August 29th, 2011If you’re a parent or teacher with a deaf child starting a new school year, here’s a quick reference list that might answer some of your questions.
Hearing Assistance Entitlements
Educational Supports in Ireland
Advocating For Your Child’s Service Provision
The Visiting Teacher Service: Background Details
The Effective Use of IEPs in Irish Classrooms
What To Do If Your Child’s Support [...]
Delivering On-The-Spot Deaf Awareness Training
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011During a recent chat in a Dublin hotel, two of the IDK team were interrupted by an academic. He had a few questions about being deaf, and did we mind?
All in the line of duty, of course.
His first question was, should he use the term, ‘deaf’ or ‘hearing-impaired’, to refer to people who’re deaf? That [...]