Tips for communicating with a deaf child

With Deaf Awareness Week taking place in Australia from August 24-30 take some time to support the community and read our tips on communicating with a deaf child.

- Get their attention before you speak to them by a gentle touch on the arm.  
- Establish eye contact.
- Face them directly so they can lip-read what you are saying. Do not speak with your back to the child or from a distance.  
- If the child can hear better with one ear, stand on the 'better' side.  
- Speak as clearly as possible in a natural way and at a moderate pace. Don't over-exaggerate mouth movements as this will make lip-reading more difficult.  
- Don't shout! 
- Make sure your mouth is visible. If your mouth is covered, the child will be unable to lip-read what you are saying.  
- Reduce background noise.  
- Use short and grammatically simple sentences, give instructions one step at a time, avoid abrupt topic changes, and explain when you are changing the topic.
- If the child does not understand what you said, rephrase it in simple language.   
- Use lots of gestures, visual cue, facial expression and body language to support what you have said.  
- If necessary, write the message down in simple language.  
- Check comprehension by asking for feedback.  
- Recognise that the child can hear and understand less when they are tired or ill.
- Be patient, positive and relaxed when speaking to the child. 

This article has been provided by Deaf Children Australia.
http://www.deafchildrenaustralia.org.au/