Deaf baby, solutions exist
When the diagnosis is confirmed, a first-line treatment is usually considered. traditional fitting phase with the fitting of hearing aids. They amplify sounds so that the child can hear himself and others. But they don’t do everything! Intensive speech therapy is essential to help him progress.
In severe deafness, hearing aids may not work as expected. In this case, another solution is possible from the age of 10 months: the use of hearing implants. Their installation requires a surgical operation which often concerns parents. But, with the development of medical techniques, the child recovers quickly and the progress is clearly visible. Here again, appropriate speech therapy and parallel follow-up with a specialist hearing aid professional are essential.
Hearing aids are 100% covered by Social Security on the basis of TIPS (Interministerial tariff for health services) until the child is 20 years old. The supplements are paid by mutual funds or the Cdes (Departmental Commission for Special Education).
The reimbursement of hearing implants depends on the health budget voted each year.
Towards access to communication
Regardless of the child’s degree of deafness, it is important to focus on visual and oral communication to promote autonomy. Sign language, practiced at the same time as spoken language (one does not necessarily prevent the other), is one of the possible means.
Others will prefer Completed Spoken Language (LPC) which allows the child to express himself with hand signals near the face, while speaking at the same time. This choice also depends, of course, on the interest of the little one for a particular “tool” of communication. But, as clarified by Nicole Denni-Krichel, speech therapist, “it is better to favor bilingualism to go towards oralization when possible … It is true, rehabilitation requires a lot of effort and years of follow-up are required. waiting for hearing-impaired children, but the game is well worth the effort
Deafness is not what it used to be and, today, a whole new future is opening up to them, in particular thanks to the progress of equipment. and cochlear implants. When combined with appropriate speech therapy, they provide very good results. “
Deafness, who to contact?
National Association of Parents of Hearing Impaired Children
37/39, rue Saint Sébastien
75011 Paris – France
Phone. : 01 43 14 00 38
Academy of Sign Language (ALSF)
Tel. : 01.40.51.10.80
Association for Completed Spoken Language (ALPC)
Such. : 01 45 79 14 04
French Federation of Cochlear Implants
Such. : 04 78 60 60 17
Read our article on toys for deaf or hard of hearing children.