View source for Disabled Village Children:Helping a Child Learn 'Total Communication'

{{bctrail|segments=3||chapterurl=Chapter 31: Deafness and Communication|chaptitle=Chapter 31: Hearing Loss and Communication|Deciding What to Do for a Child with Hearing Loss|pagetitle=Helping a Child Learn Total Communication}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Helping a Child Learn Total Communication}}
{{SideSupplement|bookabbreviation=dvc|pagealt=is from page 265 of|chapterpdf=http://hesperian.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/en_dvc_2023/en_dvc_2023_31.pdf|bookurl=Disabled Village Children|booktitle=Disabled Village Children}}
{{chaptertoc|In this chapter:|
 <ul class{{=}}"noprint">
<li>[[Disabled Village Children:Chapter 31: Deafness and Communication|Chapter 31: Hearing Loss and Communication]]
  </li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Where Can You Go for Help?|Where Can You Go for Help?]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Deciding What to Do for a Deaf Child|Deciding What to Do for a Child with Hearing Loss]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Helping a Child to Hear Better|Helping a Child to Hear Better]]</li>
<li>[[Disabled Village Children:Different Ways to Help a Child Communicate|Different Ways to Help a Child Communicate]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Helping a Child Learn 'Total Communication'|Helping a Child Learn Total Communication]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Sign Language|Sign Language]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Helping the Child Learn to Make Sounds and Speak|Helping the Child Learn to Make Sounds and Speak]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Lip Reading|Lip Reading]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Prevention of Deafness|Prevention of Hearing Loss]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Words to the Family of a Deaf Child|Words to the Family of a Child with Hearing Loss]]</li>
  </ul>
}}

<div class{{=}}speechbub style="position:relative; width:365px; height:365px; float:right;">
[[Image:DVC_Ch31_Page_265-1.png|325px|center|alt=a man speaking to a child as she points to objects, pictures, and words.]]
<div style="position:absolute; width:50px; left:95px; top:8px;">Pig</div>
<div style="position:absolute; width:70px; left:251px; top:6px;">Yes! Good girl!</div></div>
*The learning place should be well lighted, so that the child can see your hands, face, and lips.
*Face the child when you speak to her, and be sure she is watching you.
*Talk to her a lot, even if she does not understand. Talk with your hands, face, and lips, and encourage her to watch them all.
*Speak clear and loud, but do not shout and do not exaggerate the movement of your mouth and lips. This will help her learn to recognize normal speech.
*Be patient and repeat things often.
*Be sure to let her know that you are pleased when she says something or does something well.
*Encourage her to make whatever sounds she can. This will help her strengthen her voice for possible speech. The community might be surprised at her sounds. Let them know she is learning to speak, and ask them to be encouraging.
*Have a lot of toys, pictures, and other things ready to use in helping her learn the signs and words for them.
*Make learning to communicate fun. Include other children in games like “Simon says”  that help children use their eyes, ears, and bodies, and copy each other (see [[Disabled_Village_Children:Early_Play_Activities_and_Toys|"Early Play Activities and Toys"]]).
*Play games that exercise the child’s lips, tongue, and mouth muscles. In a child with hearing loss, these muscles can get weak. This not only makes speech more difficult, but lessens the child’s ability to communicate with facial expressions.  See [[Disabled_Village_Children:Activities_for_Communication_and_Speech#Special_Problems_in_Speech_Development|activities to strengthen and control the mouth and lips]].
<ul>
<li>Make a list of the words that other children her age use, and that you most want the child to learn. Include:</li>
<ul>
<li>'''useful words for learning and games''': yes, no, thank you, please, what, do, don’t, like, want</li>
<li>'''common and interesting things''': body parts, animals, clothing, foods</li>
<li>'''action words''': come, go, eat, drink, sleep, give, put, see, hear, wash, walk, run, play, pee</li>
<li>'''people''': you, I, he, she, it, we, they, Mama, Papa, Juan, Maria, and other family members</li>
<li>'''description words''': small, big, up, down, fat, thin, good, bad, hot, cold, day, night</li>
</ul>
</ul> 


Start with a short list and gradually make it longer. Use the words often, in daily activities (feeding, bathing, dressing), and in play. Have the whole family learn the words on the list and how to make the signs for them. Encourage everyone to use the words and signs together, not only when they talk with the child, but when they talk with each other, and for all the things they do in the home. This way the child will learn about language by playing, watching, listening (as much as he can), and finally by copying—the way most children learn language.

<div style="position:relative; width:160px; height:160px; float:right; line-height:110%;">
<div style="position:absolute; width:150px; left:10px; top:15px;">[[Image:DVC_Ch31_Page_265-2.png|150px|center|alt=a flash card showing a hat with the word and finger spelling signs.]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute; width:25px; left:45px; top:102px;">H</div>
<div style="position:absolute; width:25px; left:85px; top:102px;">A</div>
<div style="position:absolute; width:25px; left:117px; top:102px;">T</div>
</div>
*As the child gets a little older, help her become familiar with letters and written words. You can write the first letter or name of things on different objects around the home. Or make pictures of things with their names in big, clear letters. Or make pairs of “flash cards” so the child can match pictures with words. This will help the child understand hand signs that are based on letters. It will prepare him for learning the alphabet in writing and signs, and for learning to read and write.


{{Previous and next sections|Different Ways to Help a Child Communicate|Sign Language}}
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