Florida Legislates For The Auditory-Verbal Option
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013Parents of newly-identified children who’re profoundly deaf, have a lot going on. Not least, they must make communication choices on behalf of the children, and decide how the family is going to communicate in general.
Recently, the US state of Florida passed legislation for parents to be told of all the possible communication options for deaf children. [...]
Parents’ Essential Role In Language Development
Saturday, March 30th, 2013Parents have a stronger role than researchers thought, in developing verbal language in children with hearing issues. A new study from the University of Miami shows “maternal sensitivity [has] strong and consistent effects on oral language learning”, a fact that hospital cochlear implant teams need to note.
Mom’s sensitivity helps language learning in deaf children
Dr Dana [...]
Bilateral Cochlear Implants: Hearing With Two Ears
Thursday, March 14th, 2013With bilateral cochlear implants (both ears) in Ireland’s news recently, here’s some information that may answer readers’ and families’ questions.
Read: Who is a cochlear implant candidate?
Some unilateral (single-ear) implant-wearers keep a hearing-aid in the other ear, and can recognise speech by listening through two ears. Others choose to ‘go bilateral’ with 2 cochlear implants, to [...]
Teacher Question: Reading/Listening On The iPad
Wednesday, March 6th, 2013A teacher asked about using an iPad with a pupil who’s partially hearing:
What apps for reading and English did the IDK team recommend?
How can the student listen to audio files and Skype, from their iPad?
The student wears Phonak hearing aids and uses a FM system in school.
This list suggests apps for students with reading challenges:
Fifty [...]
School Awareness Poem: I am deaf, and it’s okay
Sunday, February 10th, 2013This poem was shared by a family whose son changed primary schools last September. He needed a snazzy way to tell his schoolmates and teachers about his hearing, and how to communicate with him. Here’s the result:
I am deaf and it’s okay
I am deaf, and it’s okay
It’s not my fault –
I was born this way!
I [...]
‘Happy New Ear’ To The HSE From A Parent Group
Friday, January 18th, 2013Last month, the Irish Examiner revealed that over 350 children are awaiting second cochlear implants from Beaumont Hospital’s pediatric service, due to HSE caps on budgets for spending on health and audiology services.
Children in Ireland currently receive one cochlear implant, in contrast to other countries where two implants (simultaneous or sequential) are seen as best practice for [...]
Bilateral Implant Wait List Concerns Irish Parents
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012Despite the progress of Ireland’s national newborn hearing test programme, parents have concerns about the lack of two (bilateral) cochlear implant surgeries for their children, when these are international best practice.
One family in Cork has considered emigrating to the UK to access NHS services after learning their baby’s second implant could take five years.
Read: Parents of [...]
Video Captions – The ‘Missing Piece’ in Education
Wednesday, December 12th, 2012Using captioned video in mainstream classrooms brings ‘hidden benefits’ for teachers and students, as software firm Zane Education clearly explains.
When Bill Clinton talks subtitles for literacy, we must act. What’s your move?
Read >> Subtitles – The “Missing Piece” In Education
Within six weeks, childrens’ reading and literacy skills can improve by up to one year when video is captioned, [...]
Video: What IDK Is About, And What We Do
Friday, December 7th, 2012In autumn 2012, IDK’s pitch won a professionally-produced, promotional video in a CSR give-away by Dublin firm, Tailored Films. Here’s the result.
IDK is very grateful to Tailored Films for donating their skills to our cause, and to everyone featured, for giving valuable time to make this video.
Further Reading
* What Are ‘The Different Ways Of Being Deaf’?
* [...]
What Are ‘The Different Ways Of Being Deaf’?
Tuesday, November 20th, 2012In recent days, IDK’s Facebook page showed a photo, advising us all to “Keep Calm and Celebrate Diversity”. Our point was that diversity exists in the deaf sector too, and some people don’t know [or acknowledge] this fact.
To learn about some ‘different ways of being deaf’, here’s a good piece:
Read >> Different Models of Deafness
In Ireland, [...]