Communication Methods

There are more ways of communicating than you might think. People with hearing loss use a number of techniques to communicate and adapt to new situations. One such technique is lip-reading - which everybody uses to some extent. We also read people's gestures, facial expressions and body language. The fact that a child can use these instinctive ways of communicating can actually sometimes be the reason why a hearing loss may not be discovered until late in the child's development. In addition to these innate coping strategies, you will need to evaluate and choose a communication method for your family. This choice should be made after carefully considering all options. Try to talk with parents, audiologists and adults who have been successful with that method. Like everything, these choices may need to be monitored and modified as your child grows.

The methods on the left are listed alphabetically, and do not represent an endorsement by EDEN.