FM system and at home use.

I think as a parent of any child, we need to spend a lot of time thinking about the way our children see and hear things. We need to put ourselves in their shoes.  With a typical hearing child this is hard; but then to add a hearing loss and all those aspects that you have never experienced, it becomes a WHOLE LOT harder.

We all know that during therapy session or even times when we are specifically working on something at home; we need the "optimum listening environment". - If you are new to the HOH world that means quiet... and not just not music or TV... but quiet as in the A/C unit turned off, the laundry not running, the dish washer off...  Hearing aids are wonderful... but in this aspect they work too well! :-) If you don't believe me... do a "sound check" with the stethoscope thing and walk around your house in "normal" environment.  I was listening one day in the living room and could not for the life of me figure out this annoying buzzing and humming.  It was the fan in the master bedroom.

I am realistic and know that there is no way you can never run the laundry and dish washer... and that in the summer you will need a fan on, or in the winter the heat will need to come on to keep your home livable.  So what do we do?  Our children need to hear us talking... even if we are not talking to them. This is how language is learned... a typical hearing child hears everything. they learn social manners, sarcasm, vocabulary, etc from what we tell them, but also what they just happen to hear.  We wonder where 3 and 4 year olds get some of the things they say, and it's from those distant conversations etc.  Children are the sneakiest eavesdropping people you will ever meet!!!

So how does that translate to a HOH child that is aided or implanted.  First it means they usually only know/learn what we teach them.  Which is great in some ways (you know that foul word you muttered when you tripped over the legos yet AGAIN) they don't hear that.  But you know that conversation about politics you are having with you husband. they don't hear that either. So they are missing out on LOTS of language opportunities.  This puts the responsibility onto us to tell them and talk to them about EVERYTHING to give them a wide range of vocabulary.

 We know that education success depends on reading... well you can know how to "read" all you want, but if you don't have the vocabulary the words are pointless and meaning less.

aka:

john leppa on a leta then ate lomy.

You just read that... but what does that mean?

John sat on a chair and then ate an apple. 

I hope that helps clarify WHY vocabulary is the most critical aspect for our children.

Now, how do we make sure they are hearing the maximum amount of language a day.

1. TALK and TALK and TALK to them.
2. explain and repeat and explain some more.
3. use adjectives- and synonyms (becomes a walking thesaurus) 
4. FM SYSTEM- because if you are talking to them and they can't hear you... what is the point!

 I know FM's are expensive and some insurance companies do not cover them. So if you can't obtain one, make sure you are reducing the background noise as much as humanly possible.

Places to use an FM

1. School 
2. Home during play/meals etc.
3. grocery shopping - this is a prime vocabulary lesson... walk around and show everything to your child.
4. eating in public... public places are loud and overwhelming. I find it impossible to communicate with my daughter if I don't have the FM on. She can't hear me, she can't hear anything.
5. parks - distance reduces the clarity of the hearing aid/implant. 

All in all:
If you can get an FM - get it! and then USE IT OFTEN!

If you can't - reduce background noise as much as you can. remember to try and talk "close" to your child often.