1. Be comfortable around deaf people
A deaf child can only achieve a fully integrated personality if all the adults around enable this to happen. Deaf children have a need to acknowledge their own deafness and to accept their deafness
2. These are some of the things you could do
- Outings to deaf centred activities
- Seeing deaf adults at work
- Going to deaf events with their parents
- Setting up a deaf after school club in your area
3. Be part of your local NDCS Group
It helps to meet and even advise other parents! It certainly helps to share your experiences. NDCS* research showed that above all, parents wanted to meet other parents.
4. Talk to other parents of deaf children
Don’t know anyone near you? Log on to www.ndcs.org.uk/parentplace to join in discussions and even post your own questions online.
5. Be involved in out of school activities
Several parents at a recent consultation exercise stressed this very strongly. Transport and bussing were often an issue but parents as well as children regarded extra curricular activities as very important.
6. Repeat everything to your children
Explain things in detail and do not fob deaf children off with “I’ll tell you later”. Successful families tend to be the ones who have genuinely included the deaf member and whose communication (whether this is speech only or signing) is clear and unambiguous.
7. Encourage full involvement
Deaf individuals sometimes feel excluded from being involved in discussions or family problem sharing with the result that the youngster never really knows what is going on. If there is little interaction when young, how can deaf children then practice their communication with others?
8. Be realistic but ambitious for your child
A recent consultation exercise with parents of deaf children showed that teachers’ expectations of deaf children tended to be extremely low whilst parents’ expectations tended to be high.
9. Help your child with opportunities
Don’t look for “safe” jobs such as computers – this really doesn’t work – let your child be exposed to as many opportunities as possible so they can figure out where they would like to go in their career.
10. Encourage their hobbies and interests
Deaf young people complain sometimes that they are overprotected. Encourage and stimulate their interests – it can help if they join in your interests too. Most places now are more aware of how to include children with specific needs so don’t let concerns about safety or communication put you off. Let them have a go.
NDCS* : National Deaf Childrens Society : www.ndcs.org.uk
This was written for the NDCS magazine
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