Working Together: Language Development in Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children

First, Dr. Jeyakumar explains the difference between speech and language. She then introduces the concept of “language nutrition,” which describes social exposure to rich and varied language. Acknowledging that language fluency–spoken or visual such as American Sign Language–underlies success, she shares strategies to foster these skills in Deaf and HoH children. Dr. Jeyakumar describes resources that support these patients, including early intervention services for children under age three and school-based resources for older children. She reviews assistive technologies including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and closed captioning. To conclude, she urges physician advocacy to better support the needs of Deaf and HoH children.