Deaf travel: Tips for the train, plane and automobiles
June 15, 2016
Community Spotlight: Our journey after a failed newborn hearing screening
June 17, 20164 Speech and Listening Games for your Hard-of-Hearing Child
At the moment, Harry doesn’t have any specific speech therapy activities, but we do try to take time every week to play some speech and listening games aimed at developing his understanding and to help encourage him to say more words.
Here are some of our favorite games to play to help Harry with his speech and listening skills:
Matching the Sounds
This one is quite a simple one and is something you can easily create using a computer and printed pictures. We basically find sounds online of different objects, whether it be a dog barking, police car siren or someone crying, then we print pictures off to match the sounds.
When Harry hears the sound, it’s his job is to find the picture to match that sound! He is just starting to get the hang of it, but I think it’s a great game to start off with even from a really young age.
Picture Calendar
Another idea is to have a picture calendar to show your child what you will be getting up to for the day, who you will see and places you will be going. This helps a child with hearing loss to understand and be prepared for the day ahead, rather than just going along with the flow and maybe missing out on you telling them what’s happening. You could use photos, drawings, magazine cuttings, whatever will help “paint a picture” of the day
“Ling” Sounds
Our teacher of the deaf brought this game to us and its so so simple. We have various cards with “ling” sounds on them (mm, ah, ee, oo, sh, ss) and a picture to represent each one. We have a shoebox turned into a postbox with a slot for him to post each card through but he has to say whats on the picture first and make the “ling” sound before he posts it. This one is great for babies and toddlers as they seem to adore mailing things!
The Safety Game
We use Harry’s teddies and Toy Story dolls for this one. Basically, we use role play and to lead his toys to have “accidents.” Then, we use Harry’s doctor equipment to make teddy feel better, and emphasise that teddy is hurt and might need to go to the hospital. This seemed to work really well, as Harry has started to realise that perhaps the stairs can be dangerous and that he has to be careful crossing the road. I think this game works with all sorts of social situations, not just to warn about danger but its something any child will engage with.
What are your favorite games to play with your deaf child?
